DPWH reports show Isabela bridge collapse not an accident, says senator

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday presented several reports from the Department of Public Works and Highways and a private construction firm which claim to show there are defects in the collapsed Sta. Maria-Cabagan Bridge even during its construction. 

During the continuation of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee’s investigation, Cayetano believed the collapse was not an “accident.” 

“It’s been constructed since 2014. It’s been inspected again and again and again, and hindi aksidente na bumagsak siya,” Cayetano said during the hearing. 

(It is no accident it collapsed.)

“The paperwork is more than enough to show that it wasn't an accident,” he reiterated in an ambush interview. 

In his presentation, Cayetano disclosed that all 12 spans of the bridge had reported defects, contrary to the DPWH’s claim that only five spans had faults. 

“In my research, sa sinubmit niyo ha, 12 ang may problemang span hindi lima. Every single span may problema and these are based on reports that were submitted and I wanna think mga-taga DPWH pero inignore ng higher ups,” Cayetano said. 

(Based on what you submitted, 12 spans have problems not five. Every single span has a problem… I want to think it is the DPWH but this was ignored by the higher ups.)

“Hindi totoong dalawa at tatlo lang since 2014 to ngayon na bago ibigay. Every single one of them ay may napansin ang inyong mga field engineers,” he added. 

(It is not true that two or three since 2014 to today before it was turned over. Every single one of them were noticed to have problems by your field engineers.)

Cayetano showed the reports from DPWH’s project engineers in 2018 and 2020 indicating their significant observations on the Sta. Maria-Cabagan bridge construction. 

He likewise noted the 2023 audit observation memorandum which reported multiple cracks and damaged concrete arch around the hanger, among others. 

Apart from this, Cayetano showed the evaluation of As-Built condition of the bridge conducted by Urban Engineers which showed around 935 fails. 

Responding to Cayetano’s presentation, Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said “it would be appreciated that it looks like since day one there’s already a problem.” 

Cayetano also questioned why the DPWH was the one who hired and paid for the structural engineer that inspected the bridge for a third-party observation, instead of the contractor of the project. 

This was further highlighted when Cayetano showed a January 20,2020 memorandum report of DPWH’s Bureau Research and Standards that recommended the contractor to be the one who will hire the structural engineer to asses the integrity of the bridge “at his own expense.” 

DPWH Undersecretary Eugenio Pipo admitted that it was indeed the department who paid for the hiring of a third-party assessor for the project, prompting Cayetano to quip “Napaka-special ng contractor (the contractor is pretty special).” 

Cayetano then urged the DPWH to “draw a red line” and set a date after their in-house investigation into the collapsed bridge so the contractor would be held accountable. 

“I’m not saying at this point in time na kasalanan ng contractor, but I’m saying the evidence is there bumagsak eh. So meron at merong may kasalanan nito,” the senator said. 

(I’m not saying at this point in time that it is the contractor’s fault… but it collapsed. So someone is surely at fault.)

“I hope that April 25, not a submission date, but a date where the DPWH draws a red line na hanggang dito lang kayo, pag tumawid kayo dito, we’ll go after you,” he added. 

(The DPWH draws a red line that indicates you are only allowed up to here, if you cross it, we’ll go after you.) 

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

The engineer behind the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge refuted this, asserting that the structure adhered to the Bridge Code of the Philippines. —RF, GMA Integrated News