No stone would be left unturned in identifying those responsible for the collapse of the Sta. Maria-Cabagan Bridge in Isabela, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. assured on Thursday.

“Who is responsible is basically who made the design cause their design was poor. Look what happened,” President Marcos said.

He said the original cost of the suspension bridge was supposed to be PhP1.8 billion, but the budget was reduced by PhP1 billion.

“Ang puno’t dulo nito design flaw. It is a design flaw, mali ‘yung design. Ang history kasi nito dapat ang funding nito was supposed to be P1.8 billion. Binawasan to under P1 billion para makamura,” he told reporters at the site.

The President said that overloaded trucks were involved in the incident. “Those trucks should never have been on the bridge,” he said.

“We have to be more careful about monitoring ‘yung mga load. Kung 44 tons ang sinasabi, [tapos] sasakyan mo 200 plus tons, hindi nakapagtataka na ganito ang mangyayari,” he added.

The President inspected the bridge a week after the tragedy. He was accompanied by Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan and other local officials.

He assured that the issue of identifying those who designed the bridge would be addressed. “I always have a saying: fix the problem, not the blame. Ayusin muna natin ‘yung problema. Believe me, we will find out who is responsible,” he said.

Spanning 990 meters and consisting of 12 arches and nine spans of pre-stressed concrete girders, the bridge was designed for light vehicles. It serves as a vital route linking Cabagan and Sta. Maria to Enrile, Cagayan and Tabuk City, Kalinga.

Construction of the bridge started in November 2014 and was completed on Feb. 1, 2025, at a total cost of PhP1.22 billion. | PND