1 week ago
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Delon Porcalla - The Philippine Star
March 3, 2025 | 12:00am
An aerial view shows damaged vehicles on a section of a collapsed bridge in Santa Maria town, Isabela province on February 28, 2025. Authorities said but six people were injured in the incident.
AFP / John Dimian
MANILA, Philippines — Investigators looking into the collapse of a newly opened P1.22-billion bridge in Isabela should scrutinize the tiniest details of the project, opposition lawmakers said yesterday.
“It is alarming that a P1.25-billion bridge that was just retrofitted on Feb. 1 has already collapsed. This is not a simple accident or mere negligence. We need to examine the possibility of corruption and substandard materials,” Rep. France Castro of party-list ACT Teachers noted.
The House deputy minority leader had called for a congressional inquiry to determine accountability at all levels, from the contractor RD Interior Jr. Construction to the officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways who approved and supervised the project.
“The flagman should not be the only one blamed here… if corruption and substandard materials are proven, they should be charged with plunder and economic sabotage,” she said.
“If the administration is truly serious that ‘heads will roll,’ not only should the small people be held accountable but also high officials who were negligent or benefited from possible anomalies,” Castro added.
The bridge, which took more than 10 years to complete, collapsed on Thursday when a dump truck carrying quarried stones weighing over 100 tons attempted to cross despite the 40-ton weight limit.
The incident resulted in eight injuries and the collapse of a critical infrastructure link in the region.
