“IT is crystal clear that the collapsed Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela was done cheaply so someone could pocket the excess funds from the project.”
This was the sentiment of ACT-CIS Partylist Representative and senatorial candidate Erwin Tulfo in a radio interview when asked if he saw corruption in the recent collapse of the bridge on February 27.
“Why would you construct a bridge in a province that can only support light vehicles? It does not make sense!” the lawmaker lamented. “If there was a design flaw, how did it pass the standards of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers?” he further questioned.
“We must hold accountable and imprison all individuals responsible for this substandard bridge to deter others from doing the same,” Tulfo added.
“Look, P1 billion pesos from the nation’s coffers were allocated for this bridge, only to be compromised. For what? Obviously, to increase the kickbacks of corrupt individuals who took advantage of it,” the solon pointed out.
“There were even reports of design errors, yet the DPWH still allowed the contractors to proceed with the construction. Why is that?” Tulfo asked.
Highlighting the possible link to corrupt practices, he surmised: “The contractor must have bribed the DPWH inspectors and supervisors, blinding them to the project’s non-compliance with government standards.”
