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THE Senate Sub-committee, now looking into the sudden collapse of the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela Province, wants Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan to personally shed light on the reason behind the tragic incident that injured six people.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who chairs the Senate panel, requested Secretary Bonoan's physical presence in the next hearing, set for Wednesday next week, so he could personally explain to the committee the progress of their investigation conducted on the matter.
Cayetano said the committee will be forced to subpoena Secretary Bonoan if he fails to appear again to clarify the collapse of the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge on Feb. 27, 2025.
Cayetano made the statement after DPWH Undersecretary Eugenio Pipo Jr. admitted that their investigation into the incident is still ongoing, so it cannot be confirmed whether the bridge collapse was due to poor design or the alleged overloading.
Undersecretary Pipo said they had already conducted an ocular inspection of the area, but a thorough investigation was still needed to determine why the collapse occurred.
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Cayetano argued that Bonoan's presence is essential because their investigation will examine the processes and protocols of the Department of Public Works and Highways—from planning to bidding to construction, inspection, and testing of public infrastructure projects—to ensure public safety and how the DPWH deals with errant and abusive contractors.
In a recent radio interview, Bonoan announced that the United Technology Consolidated Partnership (UTCP) and Engineer Albert Cañete were responsible for designing the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge and a "wavy" flyover in Iloilo. He confirmed their involvement in the design of the Ungka flyover, which encountered issues shortly after its opening.
The bridge's collapse has raised concerns about UTCP's reliability, as the firm has been linked to another project with design flaws. Bonoan mentioned that discussions regarding accountability will take place soon, including the possibility of blocklisting companies responsible for serious failures. He also assured listeners that the government is exploring repair solutions for the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge.
After an ocular inspection in the area, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the collapse of the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela to design flaws and overloading.
"The ending, the whole thing, is a design flaw. It is a design flaw; the design is wrong. Its history is that its funding was supposed to be P1.8 billion. It was reduced to under P1 billion to make it cheaper," he told reporters at the site.
"This is a 44-ton bridge. Dapat 44 tons ang acceptable load," the President said.
The DPWH said the bridge's construction began in November 2014 and was completed on Feb. 1, 2025 at a cost of P1,225,537,087.92. The bridge spans 990 meters. The agency is conducting further analysis into the collapse and has requested experts from the Bureau of Design and Bureau of Construction in the Central Office to conduct an evaluation and assessment.
The bridge, which connects Cabagan and Sta. Maria was initially scheduled to open in 2019 but was delayed due to alleged design defects.
