Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has called for a Senate investigation into the collapse of the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela during a hearing scheduled for Friday, March 14, 2025.
In Senate Resolution No. 1322, Cayetano urged the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations—commonly known as the Blue Ribbon Committee—to examine why the bridge, which only opened in February, had already failed.
On March 11, Blue Ribbon Committee chair Senator Pia Cayetano appointed Senator Alan as the Subcommittee chair to lead the motu proprio inquiry. Even before this, on March 9, she had already stated that she was closely monitoring the situation.
“I really think it’s a terrible thing [to happen]. I think it should really not happen, the DPWH should be up in arms and everyone should be there… not just accountability but also the promise that this should not happen,” said Senator Alan.
He emphasized in the resolution that “safe and resilient infrastructure is essential to the transformation of the nation… The Blue Ribbon needs to look into how the Department of Public Works and Highways deals with errant contractors to ensure that the country and the people are protected against fraudulent and abusive contractors.”
The DPWH, being one of the government agencies with the largest budget, may also have its other projects scrutinized during the hearing to address concerns about systemic corruption.
“It seems like every now and then, every year, two years, there are projects that, if not major, collapse and I don’t hear announcements that a contractor has been banned or blacklisted or imprisoned or whoever made a mistake,” Cayetano remarked.
The Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge collapsed on February 27 when a dump truck carrying heavy rocks crossed it, exceeding the bridge’s 45-ton weight limit.
The incident injured at least six people and damaged four vehicles. The bridge, completed on February 1, 2025, cost P1.22 billion.
Authorities are still investigating the cause, considering factors such as overloading, defective design, and construction flaws.
Cayetano stressed that addressing such incidents is crucial in the government’s fight against corruption. He asserted that private contractors delivering “substandard, defective, or deficient projects, or services” should not be allowed to secure future contracts.
He further pointed out that the bridge collapse raises “serious questions about the competence of the DPWH and private contractors, and directly erodes the trust reposed by the public in the agency and the government in general.”
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is responsible for investigating alleged government misconduct and proposing legislative measures to prevent corruption.
