FORMER Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral was found dead early in the morning of Friday, December 19, after allegedly falling off a cliff in Benguet.
Authorities said that at around 8AM of Thursday, December 18, Cabral’s vehicle was seen parked along Kennon Road, near a gas station. Police then asked Cabral and her driver, Carlo Hernandez, to move their vehicle as it was affecting traffic.
At 3PM, as they were driving from Baguio City to La Union, Cabral asked Hernandez to stop at Purok Maramal and be left alone there.
Hernandez followed the wishes of Cabral and only returned at 5PM. However, he was unable to find her there.
He tried looking for her at the hotel she was staying at and decided to seek police assistance at around 7PM after futile efforts to locate her.
As the police searched the area of Purok Maramal, they found Cabral 30 meters below Kennon Road, near Bued River, where she was declared dead at 12:02AM on Friday.
Who was Maria Catalina Cabral?
Prior to being appointed as DWPH Undersecretary for Planning and Public-Private Partnership in 2014, she was an alternate member on the Board of Directors of the National Irrigation Administration.
She began her career at the DPWH as a Civil Engineering Aide and rose from the ranks. Her work in the agency included the implementation of major roads, bridges, and flood control projects.
During the investigation of the anomalous flood control projects in September, Cabral was mentioned by Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Senator Panfilo Lacson, after she allegedly asked a staff of Senate President Vicente Sotto III if he had projects that he wanted to be inserted in the 2026 budget of DPWH.
Former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo also earlier said that Cabral would “clear” the budget for some infrastructure projects that would later on be approved by the secretary.
Denying her involvement in the budget insertions, Cabral resigned from her post.
Although previously appearing at the hearings conducted by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Cabral chose not to appear before the Independent Commission on Infrastructure’s hearing days before her death.
ICI: “Ensure no foul play”
Now, the ICI is asking authorities to make a thorough investigation on Cabral’s death, specifically requesting them to do necessary forensic examination on Cabral’s possessions that may be connected to flood control anomalies.
“The commission likewise calls for a prompt and thorough investigation of the death of Usec. Cabral to ensure that there is no foul-play. Should authorities determine one, it is possible that those responsible may also be connected to the anomalous infrastructure projects,” the ICI said.
The ICI previously recommended further investigation on Cabral, and no formal case has been filed against her.
Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that while Cabral has died, it will not stop the government’s investigation on the anomalous flood control projects, nor will it protect them from accountability.
“Ang pagkamatay na isang tao ay hindi ibig sabihin titigil ang gulong ng hustisya. Hahabulin namin ang lahat ng nakaw-yaman, buhay o patay,” Remulla said.
PNP investigation
Currently, Hernandez is considered a person of interest.
Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr. has already ordered the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and Police Regional Office Cordillera to look at all angles regarding Cabral’s death.
“I have already ordered a thorough investigation into this incident for us to have a clear picture of what happened. While there was already an initial impression regarding what happened, we should not rule out any factor until our forensic investigators are able to establish the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it,” Nartatez said in a press briefing.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is requiring an autopsy for the remains of Cabral, as well as DNA testing to confirm her identity, despite the positive identification by her family.
However, her husband, Engineer Cesar Cabral said that as they believe her death was an accident, they will not have her remains autopsied.