President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has promised a thorough investigation into the collapse of the Sta. Maria – Cabagan Bridge in Isabela, vowing to hold those responsible for its design accountable.
“Fix the problem, not the blame,” Marcos declared on Thursday, emphasizing that while the collapse must be addressed urgently, accountability will follow.
The president pointed directly to the bridge’s design as the primary culprit, calling it a design flaw. “Ang puno’t dulo nito design flaw. It is a design flaw, mali ‘yung design,” he said. Marcos revealed that while the bridge’s original budget was P1.8 billion, it was slashed to about P1 billion in an effort to cut costs.
The bridge’s collapse, which has sparked outrage among residents, was further complicated by overloaded trucks that should not have been on the structure in the first place.
“We have to be more careful about monitoring ‘yung mga load,” Marcos said, stressing that weight limits were blatantly ignored. “Kung 44 tons ang sinasabi, sasakyan mo 200 plus tons, hindi nakapagtataka na ganito ang mangyayari,” he added.
Marcos, accompanied by Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan and local officials, visited the site one week after the tragedy. He reassured the public that the investigation would not be rushed, but no one would escape responsibility.
The bridge, which connected Sta. Maria and Cabagan to Enrile, Cagayan, and Tabuk City, Kalinga, spanned 990 meters and was designed for light vehicles. Construction of the bridge started in November 2014 and was completed on February 2025 at a cost of P1.22 billion, it included 12 arches and nine spans of pre-stressed concrete girders.
Marcos made it clear that while the immediate focus is on repairing the damage, a full reckoning is on the way. “Believe me, we will find out who is responsible,” he said.