SANTA MARIA, Isabela — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) office in Isabela City is looking into possible corruption linked to the collapse of a section of the newly completed Cabagan-Santa Maria bridge in Isabela province.

The bridge was constructed for almost a decade and the government spent more than one billion pesos for it and if it is proven that it was built using substandard materials in violation of the law, the NBI said that those responsible for the incident would be held accountable.

Returning senatorial candidate, former Philippine National Police chief Panfilo 'Ping' Lacson gave his view on the incident, sayingthere is a special place in jail for those behind the possible substandard construction of the bridge, which was built at a cost of a whopping ₱1.225 billion and opened only last February (the current year). The collapse resulted with six people injured and one missing.

According to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Office II, a dump truck carrying boulders with an estimated gross vehicle weight of 102 tons was passing over the bridge at the time when the third span of the structure, measuring 60 meters, gave way.

The bridge, which spans 990 meters and consists of 12 arch bridge spans and nine spans of pre-stressed concrete girders, was constructed by R.D. Interior Jr. Construction Company. Construction of the bridge commenced in November 2014 and was initially slated to be finished by 2019, but it underwent retrofitting and was officially completed on February 1.

DPWH officials disclosed that a deep analysis is being conducted to determine the cause of the collapse, with experts from the Bureau of Design (BoD) and the Bureau of Construction (BuCon) assisting in the assessment.

Isabela governor Rodolfo Albano calmed speculations that the project was rigged with corruption and asked for a probe that will prove what really caused the bridge’s collapse.

DPWH Cagayan Valley officer-in-charge Mathias Malenab said the bridge was designed to have a capacity of 45 tons per vehicle, in compliance with existing policies, but he added that the heavy truck’s passage resulted in a “concentrated load” that could have led to the collapse of a section of the bridge.

Irregardless of whether there was corruption in the construction of the Isabela bridge or it was merely fate that took a hand it it's collapse, Presidential Decree 1759 and Republic Act 6957 are laws that address substandard construction in government projects. Both laws mandate compliance with minimum safety and construction standards.