Collapse of a Philippine Bridge

Eye Opener, Column, Sunday Post

One of the popular figures during the Marcos administration was the congressman from Ilocos Norte, Tony Raquiza. The Ilocano solon form part of the CRC bloc, composed of Congresmen Manuel Cases, Floro Crisologo and then Tony Raquiza.

 Raquiza was appointed  Public Works and Highways Secretary during the Marcos regime. He once went to Bohol to inspect bridges here. He went to a certain bridge in Sevilla and upon the proddings of certain officials in that area, Raquiza promised to construct a new bridge to replace the old one. He remarked and promised that in 90 days I will "Raquitize this bridge means the facility will be completed.

 In 90 days the bridge was "Raquitized" alright, completed and inaugurated. A day after the inauguration, the bridge collapsed, when I went to the scene as a reporter of the Bohol Chronicle, I saw the collapsed bridge and then some bodies floating on the river. I asked a bystander, how many died since I saw bodies floating, he said about two, wondering aloud that it could be more, and thinking that if six people died, it would certainly get a page one billing at the then popular Manila Times, because of the numbers killed, I wrote the story and also provided another copy to Radio Station DYRD.

 The Manila Times edition carried out the story on page 1 with my byline. How proud I was. A.page one billing with my byline was certainly a scoop to relish.  Later on in the day, the then Chronicle editor called me to come to the Bohol Chronicle . He was a little bit angry and agitated for me being careless with facts and figures as people killed are like typhoons which are always exaggerated in the terms of damages, because obviously the bigger damage estimates, the more money the public officials would get, it is always a secret collaboration between the media and the public officials. So the more people killed, the guarantee of a page one billing in the Manila Times.

 But then later Atty. Zoilo Dejaresco Jr., my boss pointed an accusing finger at me. You are a murderer, how can you, only two people were killed in that bridge collapse, but you reported six people were killed, an exaggeration of figures. As a young reporter, it was only at that time, that I realized the gravity of the journalism crime I committed.

 During the early years, being haughty and 'hambugero" were part of my traits. Imagine there were only three considered newspapermen in town. The late Zoilo Dejaresco Jr., Gov. Erico Aumentado and I. Not that many. When I walked at the capitol everybody was looking at me.