President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has given agencies working on the rehabilitation of San Juanico Bridge to reopen the bridge by December to heavy vehicles weighing up to 12 tons.

“Ang schedule namin dapat by December, before the end of the year, ang puwede nang gamitin ng sasakyan hanggang 12 tons,” the President said in his latest podcast interview aired on Friday.

“That’s a test. Sabi ko ‘pag hindi niyo natapos ‘yan, tatanggapin ko ‘yung resignation niyo,” added the President.

Since May, San Juanico Bridge was closed to all vehicles exceeding 3 tons while the rehabilitation is ongoing.

President Marcos acknowledged the hardships caused on residents and businesses by decades of neglect and lack of proper maintenance of the vital bridge linking Leyte and Samar.

“Nagulat ang aming mga engineers. Sabi nila, ‘malala na pala ito.’ Dahil ‘yung maintenance sa nakaraang ilang dekada hindi naman ginawa. Sabi ko, bakit? Wala bang record ‘yan? May record naman. Lahat nung job order completed. Pero tingnan mo, puro kalawang. Hindi nila ginawa,” said the President.

The residents themselves confirmed that the bridge did not undergo maintenance work.

President Marcos himself talked to affected residents, truck drivers and suppliers during his visit to Samar port on June 11. As an emergency measure, the President ordered a roll-on, roll-off (RORO) cargo ferry system to reroute heavy vehicles, giving priority to trucks transporting perishable goods.

“Sorry na nangyari ito at alam ko ang nararanasan ninyo, nararanasan ng mga transport operators, ang nararanasan ng ating mga negosyante. Kaya’t aasahan ninyo talagang minamadali namin na maayos kaagad ito. And we’ll make sure that you will be safe. We will bring the services of San Juanico back to normal,” said the President. | PND