Not even in the name of peace

For the past few days, our country has been rocked with earthquake events one after the other. These were all very strong, powerful temblors that shifted the tectonic plates surrounding the Philippines. These earthquakes though are not yet within the range of the so-called “Big One” that our volcanologists have been warning us to brace for. Such is apparently to obviate public fears that the successive quakes might be the precursors of the catastrophic “Big One.”

The magnitude 6.9 quake that shook the entire Cebu reached nearby provinces like Iloilo last Sept.30. Ten days later, a much stronger magnitude 7.4 earthquake jarred the Davao region. It was felt all the way to Leyte, Samar and Cagayan de Oro City. Sadly, 74 people died in the Cebu quake and aftershocks still continue. On the other hand, the earthquake that originated in Davao Oriental has so far resulted in seven deaths as of this writing. 

We’ve sort of been treated to an awe-inspiring resilience displayed by the bridge structures in Cebu. Three bridges spanning Cebu withstood the swinging and sideways shaking of the earthquake, seemingly swaying with it. 

There is no definitive way to predict an earthquake to avoid zero-casualty. What is troubling though is the recent series of collapsed bridges when there was not even an earthquake. The collapse of the Piggatan Bridge in Alcala town in Cagayan last Oct. 3 is a case in point.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon agreed with the findings of local district engineers. Dizon noted the lack of regular maintenance and the passing of overloaded trucks, lapses in monitoring and enforcement all brought about this collapse waiting to happen. He conceded these combined issues made the 45-year-old bridge vulnerable. It was retrofitted though in 2016 at a cost of P11.7 million, Dizon added. 

But we supposedly have an Anti-Overloading law, or Republic Act 8794, against exceeding the maximum gross vehicle weight of 45 tons allowable tonnage.

It was only last Feb. 27 when the Cabagan-Santa Maria suspension bridge in Isabela collapsed due to alleged design flaws and overloading also. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) agreed with the findings after his inspection of the collapsed bridge. The 44-ton bridge inexplicably collapsed while four vehicles were passing through but thankfully there were no casualties.

These twin bridge collapses did not merit much investigation, not even in Congress. Not in the same proportion as the reported multibillion-peso worth of “ghost” flood control projects under the DPWH budget in the past three years.

It would seem these incidents have become water under the bridge.

Levity aside, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. reminded us during our Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum last week that it was actually the existing condition of our country’s bridge structures that first caught the attention of PBBM much earlier. Galvez recalled the President mentioned a decrepit hanging bridge in Mindanao during his state of the nation address (SONA) at the joint opening session of the 20th Congress last July 28.

In his SONA, PBBM pledged to ensure that funds would be allocated for the construction of a new concrete bridge in Pisompongan, a village about 20 kilometers from the Midsalip town in Zamboanga del Sur. It drew PBBM’s attention, Galvez recalled, after a video posted on social media showed school children and teachers crossing a river amid strong currents and rising waters brought by heavy monsoon rains. 

Through OPAPRU’s Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Pamana) program, Galvez told us, the P60-million concrete bridge project will be put up. Galvez announced the check was already released, coinciding with the celebration of Peace Month. And last Aug. 1, the OPAPRU chief led the groundbreaking at the site of the new bridge which will be completed before end of this year.

Many other infrastructure projects are being lined up under the PAMANA program, Galvez cited, including those in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Galvez though clarified the OPAPRU earlier suspended many of the projects in the BARMM during the campaign period for the first ever BARMM Parliament elections (BPE). The polls were supposed to take place today but the Supreme Court (SC) ordered its postponement until they come up with a new law redistricting the 80-seat BARMM Parliament. The SC told the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to come up with a constitutionally compliant legislation. 

Per latest SC ruling, the BTA must redistribute to the five other BARMM provinces the seven seats originally intended for Sulu in accordance with existing laws of the land. But the SC last year upheld Sulu’s opting out of the BARMM. 

The postponement of the BPE to not later than March 2026 – while seemingly inconvenient – gave the OPAPRU more time to resume its socio-economic programs for the BARMM. However, there were shocking revelations surrounding former BARMM chief minister Ahod B. Ebrahim’s alleged financial impropriety concerning the P6.4-billion Local Government Support Fund (LGSF).

The allegations brought out in the House of Representatives’ Committee Report 1502 noted the staggering monthly disbursement of P1.5 billion to local government units (LGUs) closely aligned with the ruling United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP). Such a troubling pattern raises an alarm echoing across the regions and communities that depend on these funds for their welfare and development. The stench of corruption is palpable. Thus, it demands urgent attention.

The same report rendered by the House committee on public accounts called for a comprehensive fraud audit by the Commission on Audit (COA). However, this report must not be a mere formality. It must catalyze a movement towards transparency and restore public trust in a system that has been grossly manipulated.

The postponement of the BPE could provide the necessary space for a thorough investigation. Should the forensic audit reveal impropriety, it is essential that decisive legal actions follow.

Failure to do so signals tacitly tolerating the culture of corruption. Such a message we cannot afford to send, not even in the name of peace in Mindanao.