By Charles Dantes and Maricel Cruz
Malacañang expressed openness to ordering an inspection of all bridges built under the watch of the previous administration to ensure their structural integrity and safety.
“That is probably what the administration will do – inspect everything as much as possible, with the help of DPWH, with the help of LGUs, all the bridges, especially those built during the time of former President Duterte,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a press briefing yesterday.
“And if anyone in the current administration has liability, they should also be held accountable,” she added.
At the House, the Makabayan Bloc sought a congressional probe into the collapse of the P1.22 billion Sta. Maria-Cabagan bridge.
House Deputy Minority leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro led the filing of House Resolution 2249, which noted that alleged corruption, the use of substandard materials, and negligence in the daily operation of the project may have caused the collapse.
The bloc “raised serious concerns about the design and its approval, the quality of materials used, the integrity of the construction, and the oversight of the DPWH and other government agencies involved in its day-to-day operations.”
“Allegations of corruption, inadequate inspections, substandard materials, and possible collusion between contractors and government officials have surfaced,” the group added.
