Duterte admin, truck owners may be liable for Isabela bridge collapse, says Palace

March 5, 2025 | 4:53pm

MANILA, Philippines — The past administration may be held liable for the collapse of the  P1.2 billion bridge in Isabela, Malacañang said on Wednesday, March 5. 

The newly built bridge connecting the towns of Cabagan and Santa Maria partially collapsed on February 27. The collapse of the recently completed bridge has raised concerns about potential issues in its construction, including allegations of corruption.

In a press conference, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters that 90% of the bridge was built during the term of former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

Castro said that the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) initial investigation of the incident has led to two possibilities: that the bridge was under-designed or that the trucks far exceeded the bridge’s capacity. 

Construction for the bridge began in 2014, during the term of the late president Benigno Aquino III, while the bulk of it was indeed constructed while Duterte was president. 

“Hindi lamang po ang nakaraang administrasyon ang puwedeng panagutin dito, lahat po, hanggang sa ngayon kung sino po ang maaaring maging may liability dito, kung mayroon man, lahat po iyan ay dapat managot,” Castro said. 

(It is not just the past administration that could be held accountable here, it is everyone, if there is anyone, everyone will be liable.) 

However, nothing is conclusive yet, stressed Castro. 

In a separate interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said that the bridge could have been overstressed by 200%.

The DPWH’s initial probe revealed clear signs indicating that only light vehicles were allowed on the bridge.

The bridge’s design parameters allowed for vehicles weighing up to 44 tons, while the trucks exceeded 100 tons. Three trucks were reported on the bridge: one passed through successfully, while the second was caught in the collapse.

Although construction on the bridge began in 2014, retrofitting efforts were made in 2018, followed by additional measures in 2021 to make the bridge more resistant to earthquakes.

The DPWH has yet to perform the confirmatory loading tests of the bridge following these adjustments, hence testing it with light vehicles first, Bonoan said.  

Bonoan said that the DPWH is now asking a third party consulting services to help them determine the real cause of the collapse. 

Asked what President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has instructed to do about the bridge, Bonoan said that the technical investigations must be undertaken “expeditiously” so that the government can assess what rehabilitation efforts can be done to use the bridge again.