WHENEVER CORRUPTION IS mentioned in a casual conversation, the first thing that comes to my mind is the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
For one, corruption which embarks on abuse of entrusted power for private gain, is illegal. We have laws providing penalties against corrupt government officials. But not for a few “sacred cows” at the DPWH where corruption (or should we say misdeeds) merits promotion.
Taking the case of the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela which took the DPWH 14 years to finish, it collapsed eight days after the inauguration.
Instead of manning up, the DPWH tagged an “overloaded truck” as the reason behind the mishap — and wastage of P1.225 billion that was spent for its construction.
‘To be perfectly candid, not one of these officials would dare decide on their own with the approval of the DPWH boss – former Secretary Mark Villar, now a sitting senator of the country.’
FLAWED DESIGN?
At the onset of the Senate investigation, experts in the field of design and engineering shared their thoughts on the collapsed bridge. Most of them said that the flawed design caused the bridge to collapse.
But DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, stood firm that the bridge fell because of the overloaded truck — and neither his former boss nor his peers have something to do with the epic collapse of the expensive infrastructure connecting Cabagan and Santa Maria towns in Isabela.
To note, the government spent on the bridge not once, not twice, but three times — first for its original construction, then for a P285 million retrofitting, and finally for an additional P400 million in repairs.
WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE?
Since the incident took place, not one DPWH official was made accountable, suspended or investigated. Worse, DPWH officials involved were handsomely rewarded in the form of a promotion.
One of them is named Loreta Malaluan. She recommended P233.5 million in retrofitting funds in 2021 and initiated epoxy crack repairs. She has been promoted from Region 2 Director to Assistant Secretary for Luzon.
Others include Mary Bueno, who was elevated from Region 2 Director to Assistant Secretary for Visayas and Mindanao. She allegedly ignored early warnings of bridge failure flagged by Project Engineer Felipe Lingan.
There is Eugenio Pipo Jr. who was promoted from Asec to Undersecretary despite glaring red flags in construction.
MORE ON THE LIST
DPWH engineers flagged shifting columns and sheared boards as early as 2018.
Also on the list of “accountables” are Ador Canlas who approved the P285 million retrofitting plan in December 2023 and again in May 2024. He was promoted to Undersecretary for Technical Services.
Last but certainly not the least is Maria Catalina Cabral, who approved the P400 retrofitting budget at a time the bridge was still under warranty. She is the Undersecretary for Planning Service and Public-Private Partnership.
To be perfectly candid, not one of these officials would dare decide on their own with the approval of the DPWH boss – then Secretary Mark Villar, now a sitting senator of the country.