If there's someone to blame in the collapse of the P1.2 billion Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela, it's not the driver of the ill-fated truck that was traversing it, according to some senators.

In his privilege speech, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada had already identified three officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) believed to be responsible for the collapse of the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela province.

Senator Imee Marcos, in a press conference on Thursday, Aug. 7, felt sorry for the truck driver who's supposedly being blamed for the incident, stating that the bridge had problems from the beginning.

"Ang tagal na nito diba 2013 pa sinimulan eh biglang ang tanging may kasalanan yung truck driver, di naman siguro nangyari yun," she said.

"It was just the literal last straw that broke the camel's or the bridge's back in this case," she added.

The bridge, which was completed only on February 1, 2025, collapsed just 26 days later on February 27, 2025.

Last Aug. 4, the identities of the DPWH officials were revealed following Senator Rodante Marcoleta's question to Estrada during his privileged speech.

Among the officials mentioned by Estrada were Undersecretary for Regional Operations in Luzon Eugenio Pipo Jr., Undersecretary for Regional Operations in Visayas and Mindanao Ador Canlas, and Undersecretary for Planning Service and Public-Private Partnership Service Maria Catalina Cabral.

“Malamang itong sinasabi ng ating Pangulo na pinatutungkulan niya na ‘mahiya naman kayo’ palagay ko ito pong mga opisyales ng DPWH na sangkot o kasabwat sa pagpapatayo ng collapsed bridge sa Isabela (Most likely, when the President said ‘you should be ashamed,’ I believe he was referring to the DPWH officials involved or complicit in the construction of the collapsed bridge in Isabela),” Estrada said.

He also pointed out that although the agency’s engineers had been warned about the potential for the bridge to collapse, these warnings seemingly went unheeded.

Aside from the undersecretaries, Estrada also mentioned Assistant Secretary for Regional Operations in Luzon Loreta Malaluan and Assistant Secretary for Regional Operations in Visayas and Mindanao Mary Bueno, who also have links to the project.

Estrada emphasized that accountability should extend beyond the truck driver, design consultants, and contractors. He called for the officials responsible for planning, approval, and oversight of the project to be held liable.

“Wala tayong nabalitaan na nasuspindeng opisyal ng DPWH na may kinalaman sa proyektong ito. Wala rin tayong nabalitaang inimbestigahan sila upang panagutin (We haven't heard of any DPWH official being suspended in connection with this project. Nor have we heard of any investigation being conducted to hold them accountable),” he said.

Estrada stated that the DPWH personnel should be held accountable by apprehending the officials involved in the planning, approval, and implementation of the project, and that the focus should not only be on pursuing private contractors.

“Explain the approval process, identify the lapses in monitoring and enforcement, and most importantly, assure the public that this will never happen again - not through promises, but through concrete reforms in design, review, safety compliance, and project oversight,” he added.

He urged the government to pursue concrete reforms in design, safety compliance, review, and project oversight to prevent similar incidents from happening again, rather than just making promises.