SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano has called for a Senate inquiry into the sudden collapse of the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela, with a hearing scheduled for Friday, March 14, 2025.
In Senate Resolution No. 1322, Cayetano asked for the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, also known as the Blue Ribbon Committee, to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the collapse of the bridge, which occurred less than a month after it was opened in February.
On March 11, Blue Ribbon Committee chair Senator Pia Cayetano designated Senator Alan as the subcommittee chair authorized to lead a motu proprio inquiry into the matter.
As early as March 9, before his designation on March 11 as the subcommittee chair to lead a motu proprio inquiry, Cayetano had already stated that he was closely monitoring the incident.
“I really think it’s a terrible thing [to happen]. I think it should really not happen, dapat up in arms ang DPWH at dapat nandyan na lahat… hindi lang accountability pero pati y’ung pangako na hindi dapat mangyayari ito,” he said.
“Safe and resilient infrastructure is essential to the transformation of the nation… The Blue Ribbon needs to look into how the Department of Public Works and Highways deals with errant contractors to ensure that the country and the people are protected against fraudulent and abusive contractors,” Senator Alan wrote in the resolution.
The hearing may also examine other problematic DPWH projects to highlight the systemic issue of alleged graft and corruption within the agency, which receives one of the largest portions of the 2025 national budget.
“Parang every now and then, every year, two years, may projects na kung hindi man major ay gumuguho and I don’t hear announcements na may binan na or blacklisted or kinulong na contractor o kung sino man ang nagkamali,” Cayetano said.
On February 27, the Cabagan-Sta Maria Bridge collapsed when a dump truck carrying quarried stones exceeding the 45-ton weight limit attempted to cross. At least six people were injured and four vehicles were damaged in the incident.
The bridge had been completed just weeks earlier on February 1, 2025 at a cost of P1.22 billion.
Authorities are still looking into the cause of the incident. In addition to overloading, several other factors have been cited as potential causes of the collapse, including design and construction flaws.
Cayetano stressed that the government must address these issues as part of its broader effort “to fight corruption by not tolerating private contractors and their cohorts who bag big public infrastructure projects but deliver substandard, defective, or deficient projects, or services.”
He also noted in the Senate resolution that the incident raises “serious questions about the competence of the DPWH and private contractors, and directly erodes the trust reposed by the public in the agency and the government in general.”
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is tasked with investigating alleged government wrongdoings to propose new laws or amendments to existing ones, aiding in legislation.
It will discuss the matter at 12 noon on Friday, March 14, 2025. Stay tuned for updates on this issue.|
