MANILA — Senator Alan Peter Cayetano highlighted the need for quicker protocols when dealing with incidents related to public projects during a hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee on Wednesday.

The committee had gathered to look into the collapse of the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela province last February 27, which led to injuries to six individuals and raised concerns about the infrastructure practices of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Cayetano, the chair of the subcommittee, suggested implementing a 15-day preventive suspension for those involved in such cases to ensure accountability and fairness

"It's important to me that all departments have a protocol na 'pag may nangyari, sino'ng ipe-preventive suspension, sinong mag-iimbestiga, ano 'yung proseso na mabilis. Hindi ako pabor don sa 3 months, 6 months preventive suspension," Cayetano said.

READ: All segments of collapsed Isabela bridge defective, accident waiting to happen -- Cayetano

READ: Special committee formed by DPWH to probe collapsed Isabela bridge

DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan shared findings from a special investigation, indicating that the bridge's unusual arch-truss design played a significant role in its collapse. 

This bridge, which was contracted in 2014, had a history of reported defects dating back to 2017. Bonoan also pointed out discrepancies between the approved design plans and the actual construction methods, which further weakened the bridge's structural integrity.

Engineer Adam Abinales, representing Urban Engineers—the firm hired for a third-party assessment—testified that both design flaws and construction mistakes contributed to the failure. He recommended a complete retrofitting of the bridge's piers to address the stress and displacement caused during construction.

"Dahil buo na po 'yung tulay nung minodel namin siya, considering 'yung induced displacement, that's why we have to strengthen or retrofit yung piers, lahat po ng piers dahil po nagkaroon na po siya ng increase in the demand because of that displacement," he suggested.

Cayetano noted that while it is crucial to repair the bridge, it must not come at the expense of accountability. He also pointed out that according to procurement laws and DPWH regulations, the contractors should cover the costs of fixing defects, while the government is only responsible for retrofitting.

"Kung may mga defect ang bridge, palpak, paulit-ulit [ang pagkagawa], at may mga repair, bakit ang gobyerno pa ang nagbayad ng repair, instead of the contractor?" Cayetano questioned.

"We should get to the bottom of this. This is your chance. Kapag pumunta ito sa Ombudsman, panay papel lang iyong explanation niyo. Dito pwede ninyo i-articulate at i-explain," he stated.