Jinggoy seeks accountability from DPWH over fallen Isabela bridge

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada on Monday questioned the lack of accountability on the part of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) nearly six months after the collapse of the P1.2 billion Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela. 

In his privileged speech, Estrada emphasized that aside from the truck driver, design consultant, and bridge contractor, there should also be public officials who exercised oversight functions that must be held accountable for the collapse. 

“Why is there no mention of disciplinary actions against these supervising officials whose approval and oversight, or lack thereof, enabled this tragedy? Mr. President, wala tayong nabalitaan na nasuspinding opisyal ng DPWH na may kinalaman sa proyektong ito. Wala rin tayong nabalitaang inimbestigahan sila upang panagutin,” the Senate president pro tempore said. 

(Mr. President, we have not heard that any DPWH official was suspended concerning this project. We’ve also not heard that any official was investigated to be held accountable.) 

“This incident is more than a structural failure. It is a failure of governance. It exposes weaknesses in our systems, weaknesses that will persist if we refuse to confront them with transparency and resolve,” he added. 

Estrada urged the DPWH to take full responsibility and accountability on the matter, not just by pursuing private contractors, but also by holding its officials who were involved in the planning, approval, and implementation of the project liable. 

“Explain the approval process, identify the lapses in monitoring and enforcement, and most importantly, assure the public that this will never happen again—not through promises, but through concrete reforms in design, review, safety compliance, and project oversight,” he said. 

On February 27, a portion of the bridge that connects the town of Cabagan to Santa Maria in Isabela province collapsed, leaving six people injured. 

The DPWH said the bridge can only accommodate up to 44 tons, which is far from the weight of the truck, which was 100 tons.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. visited the collapsed bridge a week after the incident and noted that it had a “design problem.” But the engineer behind the bridge refuted this, asserting that the structure adhered to the Bridge Code of the Philippines. 

During the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee’s investigation in March, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano expressed belief that the collapse of the Sta. Maria-Cabagan Bridge was not an “accident,” as he presented several reports from the DPWH and a private construction firm that claim to show there are defects in the bridge even during its construction. –NB, GMA Integrated News