The third span of this 990-metre Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Cabagan, Isabela, collapsed Thursday night. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
MANILA (Philippines Daily Inquirer/ANN): A very unhappy Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr said that heads will roll if there is it is proven that corruption behind the retrofitting of the Cabagan – Santa Maria bidge in Isabela that collapsed on Thursday.
This was disclosed by Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro on Saturday, saying a probe will be launched into the incident.
"I talked with the President regarding this yesterday. This will be investigated, okay. If there is corruption behind this from 2024 until now, heads will surely roll," said Castro in an interview with the Inquirer.
She also said that while the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had already launched a probe into the collapse, the incident is not an ordinary case and the evidence must be determined.
"If we find out who is responsible for this and if there is corruption, if there is corruption, they should be held accountable," added Castro.
Further, she emphasized that the local government units must properly assess the conditions of establishments and infrastructures as the President can’t do it alone.
"It’s not the President’s job, it is the job of the local [government unit] and if there is a problem, then you will coordinate with the DPWH, right?" said Castro
DPWH – Cagayan Valley on Friday reported that around 8 p.m. of Thursday, the third span from the Cabagan side of the bridge collapsed after a dump truck loaded with boulders with calculated approximate gross vehicle weight of around 102 tons passed.
The construction of the bridge that began in November 2014 and was completed on February 1, 2025 was worth around Phipipine pesos 1.2 billion.
It was earlier reported that six people were injured due to the incident and in the meantime, the bridge has been closed to traffic since the cave-in, as further safety assessment and evaluation are ongoing. -- Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
