Palace to Imee: San Juanico Bridge inspected only during Marcos admin

Malacañang on Friday underscored that it was only during the time of President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. that the San Juanico Bridge would undergo rehabilitation. 

At a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was asked for reaction to the statement of Senator Imee Marcos criticizing the supposed lapses in maintaining the bridge that connects the islands of Samar and Leyte.

The senator even said perhaps she should have been the one who ran for President.

Castro then said Imee has been a senator, so she should have known the budget of the previous administration for the San Juanico Bridge.

''Lumiliwanag po ba ang ambisyon ni Senator Imee Marcos? Well, anyway, naging senador po si mahal na Senadora Imee Marcos since 2019 at malamang po ay alam naman po niya ang naging budget ng dating administrasyon patungkol po dito sa San Juanico Bridge at apat na taon pong nagkaroon—kung hindi ako nagkakamali, apat na taon since 2018 up to 2022 ang administrasyong Duterte pero hindi nga po nagkaroon ng rehabilitation,'' she said.

(Is the ambition of Senator Imee Marcos becoming clear? Anyway, Senator Imee became a senator in 2019 and for sure she knows the budget of the previous administration as regards the San Juanico Bridge and from 2018 to 2022, no rehabilitation was done.) 

Castro said it was only during the time of the Marcos administration that an inspection was conducted to check the state of the bridge. 

''At dapat nga pong magpasalamat po tayo sa panahon po ngayon ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. dahil nang nagkaroon ng inspection, doon lamang po nakita ang lawak na po ng danyos at dapat na kailanganing i-repair sa San Juanico Bridge,'' Castro said.

(We should be thankful since it's during the time of President Marcos Jr. that an inspection was done to know the extent of damage to the San Juanico Bridge.) 

''Sa panahon lamang po ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. ito nagkaroon talaga nang malaliman na pag-i-inspect para po makita na maaaring ito po ay hindi na magandang daanan at dangerous na po sa mga lumalakbay gamit po ang San Juanico Bridge,'' she added.

(It's only during the time of President Marcos Jr. that a thorough inspection was made to see if it is still safe for travelers.) 

The recent assessment raised concerns about San Juanico Bridge's structural integrity. It temporarily prohibited vehicles weighing more than three tons from crossing the 2.16-kilometer bridge.

Marcos issued Proclamation No. 920, placing Eastern Visayas under a state of calamity for a year, to facilitate the repairs on the bridge.

The President said the state of calamity took effect on June 5 and may be lifted earlier or extended depending on the circumstances.—LDF, GMA Integrated News