After the bashing and statements of condemnation, after the demonstrations, rallies, and shaming and throwing of stones and eggs and tomatoes at the mansions of cheating contractors and the DPWH building—what now?
Those who are giving our officials the benefit of the doubt and still believe that our legal system is capable of genuine reforms in government are trying the legal recourse.
In Leyte, it was Sen. Imee Marcos who was one of the first to call out the DPWH and the House of Representatives which is headed by her cousin, Martin Romualdez, on the negligence and apathy of the congressmen and their Speaker on the deteriorating condition of the San Juanico Bridge.
The bridge is close to Imee’s heart because it is one of the permanent legacies of his father, President Ferdinand Marcos, right in their home region of Leyte and Samar.
It took another citizen of Tolosa, Leyte to go the extra mile, push forward and not be content with just vocal and written criticisms of the officials responsible for the upkeep of the bridge.
Our publisher, Ray Junia, has taken the bold and necessary step of filing a formal complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), particularly its former secretary, Manuel Bonoan.
The charge is gross negligence, pointing out that the deterioration of the bridge did not happen overnight. Instead of preventive care, the agency under Bonoan allowed years of wear and tear to pile up.
“And when the bridge could no longer be ignored, its solution was to suddenly and indefinitely close it—without advisories, without viable alternatives, and without a rehabilitation timeline,” Junia said.
By filing a complaint, he has elevated public anger into a legal and moral challenge.
It should be noted that Junia’s example has started the snowballing of similar actions.
A group of environmental advocates, professionals, etc. has asked the Supreme Court to issue a Writ of Kalikasan against the government, accusing officials of neglect, corruption, and misuse of public funds in flood control and infrastructure projects that allegedly worsened flooding and environmental degradation across the country.
Petitioners led by Atty. Edna Selloriquez Pana had said they sought to hold President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Senate, the House of Representatives, and several government agencies—including the DPWH, DENR, DBM and MMDA—accountable for what they described as “long years of neglect and willful destruction.”
“The havoc created by negligence, inefficiency, and corruption of those who are supposed to implement projects funded by taxpayers’ money are unconscionable and shocking,” the 74-page petition read.
The petitioners also noted the shameful theft of public funds to line the pockets of DPWH officials, contractors, senators and congressmen.
Can the Supreme Court and the Ombudsman deliver the desired results?
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