House of Representatives Spokesperson Princess Abante has chided Senator Imee Marcos for leaving her supposed constituents out to dry in connection with the San Juanico Bridge issue.

In a statement Friday, June 20, Abante called out the recently reelected lady senator for making baseless criticims instead of helping the folk in Eastern Visayas who have been adversely affected by the ongoing repairs on the bridge.

“Noong kampanya, proud siyang sabihing ‘taga-Leyte’ siya. Tarpaulin dito, picture doon. Sinasabing may dugo rin siyang Waray. Pero ngayong may krisis – imbes na tumulong, puro sisi?” Abante said of Senator Marcos.

(During the elextion campaign, she proudly claimed he was 'from Leyte'. Tarpaulins here, photos there. She even said he had Waray blood. But now that there's a crisis—instead of helping, all she does is point fingers.)

“Kaya tanong lang po: Ano na po ba ang aktwal ninyong ambag sa San Juanico Bridge? (So we ask: What was your actual contribution to the San Juanico Bridge)” she said.

“Kahit karatulang may nakalagay na ‘This Way to San Juanico Bridge’ man lang, meron ba?” (Did she even put up a mere sign that said ‘This Way to San Juanico Bridge?’) wondered the lawyer-spokesperson.

Senator Marcos has been criticizing the House of Representatives--which possesses the power of the purse--of being remiss in the allocation of ample budget for the maintenance of the San Juanico Bridge.

But Abante debunked this and pointed to the P399.1 million have been appropriated by Congress for the rehabilitation and repair of the 52-year-old bridge since 2018.

Based on data from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the following amounts were appropriated: ₱27 million in 2018; ₱22.2 million in 2019; ₱105 million in 2021; ₱4.3 million, for emergency repairs; ₱90.6 million in 2022; and ₱150 million in 2023.

Hindi totoo na pinabayaan ng Kongreso ang San Juanico Bridge (It is not true that Congress neglected the San Juanico Bridge), Abante said.

She says that House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who hails from Leyte, has personally taken the lead in ensuring that these efforts move forward. “Ginawa na ng Kongreso, lalo na ni Speaker Martin Romualdez, ang trabaho niya: nagtulak ng pondo, nag-follow up at personal na tumutok sa usapin ng tulay.

(Congress, especially Speaker Martin Romualdez, has already done its part: securing the funding, following up, and personally overseeing the bridge issue.)

Abante also mentioned that on June 5, Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre met with DPWH Secretary Manny Bonoan on the Speaker’s instruction to expedite repair and assessment efforts.

Beyond short-term fixes, Romualdez is also championing a proposal to build a second San Juanico Bridge: “Plano rin niyang itulak ang ikalawang San Juanico Bridge para hindi na maulit ang ganitong problema,” she said.

(He also plans to push for a second San Juanico Bridge to prevent problems like this from happening again.)