'Ikulong lahat': Erwin Tulfo wants to imprison everyone responsible for Isabela bridge collapse
At A Glance
- If ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo would have his way, he would have several people jailed for the collapse of the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge, including the bridge's designer and contractor.
ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (Facebook)
If ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo would have his way, he would have several people jailed for the collapse of the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge, including the bridge's designer and contractor.
“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," Tulfo said in a statement Sunday, March 9.
Tulfo--a leading senatorial candidate under the administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas ticket--also wants to see responsible Department of Public Works and HIghways (DPWH) officials jailed over the incident.
The Cabagan-Santa Maria bridge located in Isabela partially collapsed on Feb. 27. The structure costs P1.225 billion.
“Why would you construct a bridge in a province that can only support light vehicles? It does not make sense!” the broadcaster-turned-lawmaker lamented.
“If there was a design flaw, how did it pass the standards of the DPWH engineers? There were even reports of design errors, yet the DPWH still allowed the contractors to proceed with the construction. Why is that?” he further asked.
“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 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.
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.”