Senatorial candidate Ping Lacson expresses deep concern about this unfortunate incident.
A new bridge in Isabela collapsed, leaving several injured, and Senatorial candidate Ping Lacson has this to say about what happened.
On Thursday night, February 27, a portion of the new Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela province collapsed, which left several injured. As per the initial reports, four cars were damaged after falling into the Cagayan River due to the collapse.
No fatalities were immediately recorded, but there were several who suffered injuries. A dump truck with boulders weighing 102 tons passed the bridge.
The bridge that spanned 990 meters had an initial fund of Php 640 million and was supposed to be completed in 2019. Its construction began in November 2014.
However, there was an alleged defect that required an additional Php 200 million for retrofitting. It was completed last year with a total project cost of Php 1,225,537,087.92, “covering both the bridge and its approaches,” as per the Department of Public Works and Highways.
“Further analysis on the cause of failure is still ongoing, and DPWH Region 2 has requested experts from the Bureau of Design and Bureau of Construction in the Central Office to conduct further evaluation and assessment,” said DPWH, and it identified the contractor as R.D. Interior, Jr. Construction.
During a press conference of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, one of the candidates, Ping Lacson, spoke about the unfortunate incident. He called for accountability and questioned the integrity of the construction.
He believes that failures like that should not happen as there are rigorous safety standards expected to be met.
“A bridge collapsed in Isabela. Why would it collapse? When it was built, locals said it was never really used by trucks. What is the purpose of a bridge if trucks can’t pass through it? Maybe the materials were substandard. Until someone is held accountable and jailed, this won’t stop,” he stressed.
He warned that this kind of occurrence is not an isolated case.
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