By Niko Dacanay
(June 20, 2025) — President Bongbong Marcos said he would remove those in charge of the rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge if repairs are not completed or delayed.
“That’s a test. ‘Pag hindi niyo natapos ‘yan, tatanggapin ko ‘yung resignation niyo,” said Marcos in an exclusive interview with News5 and OnePH anchor Cheryl Cosim for the BBM Podcast Episode 2.
Marcos said he wanted to increase the weight limit of vehicles allowed to cross the bridge to 12 tons by the end of the year.
The current 3-ton weight limit has disrupted the delivery of goods between Samar and Leyte as well as other provinces.
Trucks carrying food, agricultural products, medicine, and construction materials have been barred from using the bridge due to the weakened structure.
“It’s a supply risk. Hanggang Mindanao, nagrereklamo ang tao kasi ‘yung mga fast food chains, ‘yung mga supply nila hindi makakarating,” explained the president.
Logistics firms have opted to use roll-on/roll off (RORO) ships to get their trucks across the San Juanico Strait which resulted to higher operation costs.
READ ALSO: PBBM declares state of calamity over San Juanico Bridge repair
Marcos said they had already directed freight companies to keep their fares steady.
“The transport cost is going to suffer. So sinabi namin mag-cap tayo. Wala nang tataas, para hindi na tataas ‘yung pamasahe,” he added.
The President also said they have ordered the Philippine Coast Guard to ensure that perishable products are given priority to avoid wastage.
‘NAPABAYAAN’
The President said his engineers were taken aback by the extent of the damage on the San Juanico Bridge.
Marcos believes previous administrations failed to regularly inspect the structure every three years.
“May record naman. Lahat nung job, completed. Pero tignan mo, puro kalawang. Hindi nila ginawa. ‘Pag tinanong ko na naman ‘yang mga local, sabi nila hindi namin nakikita ‘yung engineer na nag-aayos niyan,” said Marcos.
The President also sympathized with Filipinos affected by the bridge repairs but stressed that it is a necessary step for their safety.
“Hindi kayo namin maaaring ilagay sa alanganin. ‘Pag binuksan natin ‘yung San Juanico, hindi natin inayos, babagsak ‘yan. We’ll make sure that you will be safe,” he added.
Our Privacy Commitment
TV5 Network Inc. values and respects your privacy. We are committed to safeguarding your personal data in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations.
We have developed a Privacy Policy that adopts and observes appropriate standards for personal data protection. While our Privacy Policy sets out the general principles governing the collection, use, and disclosure of our users’ personal information, our Privacy Commitment seeks to inform you more about TV5’s privacy practices.
Why do we collect your personal information (as applicable)?
We may collect and maintain basic information about you as site user of TV5 sites for the following purposes:
Where do we get your personal information?
There are several ways we collect your personal information.
Information that you personally provided.
Most of the personal information we have are those that you have provided us when you:
Information we collect during your engagement with us
We also collect information as you use our products and services, like:
Information we collect from other sources
Other means of collection of information may be through:
When do we disclose personal information?
There may be instances when we are required to share the information you provided us. In such cases, we ensure that your personal information will be disclosed on a confidential manner, through secure channels and in compliance with the Data Privacy Act and other privacy laws.
We will never share, rent, or sell your personal information to third parties outside of TV5 except in special cases where you have given consent, and in cases described in our privacy policy.
In some instances, we may be required to disclose your personal information to our agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, business partners and other third-party agencies and service providers as part of our regular business operations and for the provision of our programs and services. This means we might share your information with our service providers, contractors, and professional advisers who help us provide our services.
How we protect your personal information
The integrity, confidentiality, and security of your information is important to us. We have implemented technical, organizational, and physical security measures that are designed to protect your information from unauthorized or fraudulent access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, and other unlawful activities.
We also put in effect the following safeguards:
TV5 will not collect, use, or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than the purpose that you may have given your consent for.
What are your choices?
We make sure that we have your consent to continue to collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the purposes that we have identified. We want you to know that you may object or withdraw your consent and/or edit your consent preferences at any time.
If you wish to have access to the personal information in our custody or if you think that the personal information you provided is incomplete, or otherwise inaccurate, you may get in touch with our Data Protection Officer through the contact details provided below. In some instances, we may request for supporting documents or proof before we effect requested changes.
Data Protection Officer
TV5 Network Inc.
Reliance corner Sheridan Streets
Mandaluyong City
tv5dataprivacy@tv5.com.ph
What happens when there are changes in our Policy?
From time to time, we may update our privacy policy and practices to comply with changes in applicable laws and regulatory requirements, adapt to new technologies and protocols, and align with the best practices of the industry.
You will be provided notices if the changes are significant and, if we are required by law, we will obtain your updated consent.