Palace claps back at Imee: San Juanico rehab began only under PBBM

Malacañang on Friday emphasized that the rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge only began under President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., following years of neglect.

During a media briefing, Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro stressed that Senator Imee Marcos — who has served in the Senate since 2019 — should be well aware of national budget allocations during the Duterte administration, including whether or not any funds were set aside for the bridge’s rehabilitation.

"Lumiliwanag po ba ang ambisyon ni Senator Imee Marcos? Well, anyway, naging senador po si mahal na Senadora Imee Marcos since 2019 at malamang po ay alam naman po niya ang naging budget ng dating administrasyon patungkol po dito sa San Juanico Bridge at apat na taon pong nagkaroon — kung hindi ako nagkakamali, apat na taon since 2018 up to 2022 ang administrasyong Duterte pero hindi nga po nagkaroon ng rehabilitation," Castro said.

(Is Senator Imee Marcos's ambition becoming clearer? Well, anyway, the honorable Senator Imee Marcos has been a senator since 2019, and she likely knows the budget of the previous administration regarding the San Juanico Bridge. If I'm not mistaken, the Duterte administration was in place for four years — from 2018 to 2022 — but no rehabilitation was carried out)

Her remarks came after Imee criticized what she claimed were lapses in maintaining the iconic bridge linking Samar and Leyte.

Defending the President, Castro said the bridge was thoroughly inspected only under the current administration.

"At dapat nga pong magpasalamat po tayo sa panahon po ngayon ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. dahil nang nagkaroon ng inspection, doon lamang po nakita ang lawak na po ng danyos at dapat na kailanganing i-repair sa San Juanico Bridge,” Castro said.

(And we should in fact be thankful that under President Marcos Jr.’s administration, an inspection was conducted—only then was the extent of the damage to the San Juanico Bridge discovered, showing the urgent need for repairs)

Castro emphasized that the President’s initiative revealed structural issues that could pose risks to motorists.

"Sa panahon lamang po ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. ito nagkaroon talaga nang malaliman na pag-i-inspect para po makita na maaaring ito po ay hindi na magandang daanan at dangerous na po sa mga lumalakbay gamit po ang San Juanico Bridge,” she said.

(It was only under President Marcos Jr.’s administration that a thorough inspection was conducted, revealing that the San Juanico Bridge might no longer be safe to use and could be dangerous for travelers)

A recent government assessment raised red flags over the structural integrity of the 2.16-kilometer bridge, prompting the imposition of a temporary ban on vehicles weighing over three tons.

Marcos issued Proclamation No. 920, placing Eastern Visayas under a state of calamity for one year to support the government's repair efforts for the bridge. 

The President's order took effect on 5 June and may be lifted earlier or extended, depending on future developments.