Senator Alan Peter Cayetano expressed disappointment over the pace of investigation of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on the collapse of the Cabagan-Santa Maria bridge in Isabela.

 The agency faced the Senate Blue Ribbon Committe hearing led by Cayetano on Friday, where it said it has not yet preventively suspended anyone.

 “Wala pa, your honor,” DPWH Undersecretary Eugenuo Pipo said.

 “Parang hindi kayo seryoso sa investigation na ‘to,” Cayetano, the Committee’s Vice Chair, pointed out.

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 He also criticized DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan who was a no-show in the hearing.

 “He has to be here di ba? So if he doesn’t, I will subpoena him and I will request General Torre to bring him here,” Cayetano warned.

 Pipo said they have gathered all the needed documents.

 Although President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has said the bridge collapsed due to design flaw, Pipo clarified this is not yet certain.

 “That’s why we are going to form a Committee, your honor, to investigate what really happened. Is it really the design, the construction or the overloading? So we could pinpoint the responsibility,” Pipo explained.

 Cayetano asked DPWH if it analyzed the bridge’s concrete after it collapsed but the agency said it has only conducted an ocular inspection.

CRACKS SEEN

 According to Pipo, cracks were seen on the bridge in 2018.

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 “We hired purposely, the third party consultant because of the report of the project engineer and the regional director that the ongoing bridge has already some defects, some cracks in the arch as well as on the, including the shaft that already shifted,” he said.

 According to Engineer Alberto Cañete, designer of the bridge, he advised DPWH that his design should be updated because he used the 1997 code, which is an older code.

 The bridge was retrofitted but Cayetano questioned why the government shouldered the cost instead of the contractor.

 DPWH said this is one of the things it will investigate.

 Cañete assured that the cracks did not affect the structure’s integrity.

 “Superficial lang 'yung eh,” Cañete remarked. “I’m proud to be identified na designer, kasi sinasabi nila world class yung tulay.“

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 Cañete insisted the bridge is is safe so long as there is no overloading.

 The Land Transportation Office suggested upgrading the design of bridges and roads to be able to bear the weight of heavy trucks.

 It has also ordered the owner and driver of the dump truck to explain what happened.

 For Senator Bong Revilla, someone has to be held responsible.

 “Hindi puwedeng isang masaklap na pangyayari na lang ito, na isang kuwentong nag-viral. Dapat may managot,” Revilla said.

 The committee will hold its next hearing next week.