Ex-DPWH undersecretary Cabral dies in alleged fall

Benguet police on Friday confirmed the death of former Public Works Undersecretary Catalina Cabral after an alleged fall.

In an interview with GMA News Online, Police Major Peter Camsol, chief of police of the Tuba Municipal Station, said a municipal doctor - Dr Gian Frances Salinas - declared Cabral’s death at the site of the incident beside the Bued River at 12:03 a.m. Friday.

Camsol said the remains of the former official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have been moved from the site to be transported to a funeral home.

He said they are still investigating the circumstances of Cabral’s death.

Cabral was earlier reported to have been found “unconscious and unresponsive” 20 to 30 meters below a highway hours after she told her driver to leave her at a portion of Kennon Road.

The Office of the Ombudsman has directed the authorities in Benguet to secure the cellphone and other gadgets of Cabral after police found her unconscious and unresponsive beside a river on Thursday night. 

"The Ombudsman’s office directs the authorities in Benguet to take custody of and preserve the cellphone and other gadgets of former Usec. Cathy Cabral," Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said.

"The same is to be turned over to the investigators at the proper time," he added.

According to Benguet police, personnel from the Baguio City Police Office found Cabral beside the Bued River. The incident was said to be an “alleged fall.”

Police said that around 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, the victim and her driver were traveling on Kennon Road towards La Union when the victim requested the driver to stop at Maramal, Camp 5, Camp 4, and asked to be left there.

He returned to the location around 5 p.m. but was unable to find her.

The driver sought police assistance around 7 p.m. after he was still unable to find the undersecretary.

Baguio police went to the scene and found the victim at the side of the Bued River, 20 to 30 meters below the highway. She was said to be "unconscious and unresponsive."

Cabral resigned in September amid the congressional investigations into anomalous flood control projects and alleged kickbacks by lawmakers and government officials

Independent Commission for Infrastructure spokesperson Brian Hosaka said on Dec. 11 that the ICI would invite Cabral as a resource person in its investigation into ghost and substandard flood control projects.

Former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, in an affidavit he read before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, implicated several lawmakers and former DPWH officials, including Cabral, in the collection of kickbacks from the anomalous projects. 

The ICI on Friday called for a thorough investigation into the death of Cabral to determine if there was foul play.

“Should authorities determine one, it is possible that those responsible may also be connected to the anomalous infrastructure projects,” the Palace-created commission said.

The ICI also asked law enforcement agencies to immediately secure and preserve all of Cabral’s documents, gadgets, and computers for possible digital forensics examination. — NB/JMA/RSJ, GMA Integrated News