“Why did a bridge…meant to be a symbol of strength and connection - become … symbol of failure? Sino ang dapat managot? Sino ang may sala?” Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Sta. Maria – Cabagan bridge collapse

Isabela, Philippines – “Mahirap tanggapin na sa mga susunod na araw ay haharap sa kaso ang maliit na tao na tulad ng driver ng truck na pananagutin ng DPWH, samantalang pinagtatakpan nila ang kanilang mga kasamahan,” these were the strong words of Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada during his privilege speech on Monday.

Talks on accountability on the fall of the P1.2 billion Sta. Maria – Cabagan earlier this year resurfaced, and no less than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ho singled out the incident during his 4th SONA, describing the bridge as: “Napakamahal. Ang tagal ginawa. Ang bilis nasira”.

On August 4, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, who expressed his stand on the issue, questioned why DPWH only came after the driver and others involved in the collapse of the superstructure but did not mention any actions against its officials.

“Mr. President, I take this floor to demand answers. Why did a bridge, into which we poured over P1.2 billion of taxpayers' money--meant to be a symbol of strength and connection-- become instead a symbol of failure for the government? Sino ang dapat managot? Sino ang may sala?” he said.

Estrada expressed disappointment on the lack of accountability, or what the senator described as ‘nakakabahalang kawalan ng malinaw na pananagutan’, on individuals responsible for the project.

Deemed to fail but construction still continued

The Senator cited that no information was submitted to the DPWH on how the designer arrived at the design, raising concerns on how the design of the ‘iconic bridge of unique form’ was approved without necessary technical documentation. Estrada also pointed out the ‘significant signs of failure’ detected in 2017, when the bridge was in the middle of construction.

While the project engineer deemed the whole bridge to fail, it was continued and its issues were addressed through a P400-million retrofitting and epoxy injection, Estrada emphasized as he argued the repair should have been shouldered by the contractor.

Further, the senator said it is suspicious that none of the companies that participated in the bidding were declared eligible to construct a structural steel bridge project, but the construction of the infrastructure was still awarded to one of the bidders.

What about the public officials?

While the DPWH recommended the filing of appropriate actions against the truck driver, design consultant, and the contractor, Estrada asked, “What about the public officials who exercised oversight functions?”

Estrada is also in disbelief about why there are mentions of disciplinary actions against the officials involved in the approval and oversight of the project, adding that many of these officials have already retired from the government.

“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,” Estrada said.

Hold officials accountable

The senator then underscored injustices that the ‘maliliit na tao’, like the truck driver, will be answering charges while the officials involved in the bridge are freed from accountability.

“I urge the DPWH to take full responsibility and accountability - not only by pursuing private contractors - but also by holding accountable its own officials who were involved in the planning, approval, and implementation of this project. Public confidence demands nothing less,” Estrada said.