Family of DPWH ex-usec. Cabral willing to allow autopsy —police

The family of former Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral has expressed willingness to allow an autopsy after her body was discovered in a ravine in Benguet, according to the police on Friday.

“Ang alam ko nag-decide na 'yung pamilya na ipa-autopsy. Kausap ko lang kanina 'yung chief of police ang sabi niya willing na magpa-autopsy 'yung family niya,” Benguet Police provincial director Police Colonel Lambert Suerte told Dobol B TV in an interview.

(The family has decided to have an autopsy. I just spoke to the chief of police earlier and he said that the family is willing to have an autopsy on her body.)

According to Suerte, authorities have yet to determine whether Cabra’s alleged fall was accidental, medical, or deliberate as the investigation is still ongoing.

The Benguet Police official said that there were no CCTV cameras installed in the area. 

Cabral's body was brought to a funeral home and her husband already arrived there, according to Suerte. 

The cellphone of Cabral remains in the possession of her family. Suerte said the police have yet to secure her belongings as these were turned over to the family after her body was found.

“Yung mga ari-arian naman niya, pati 'yung sasakyan, na-turn over naman sa family niya…'Yung cellphone, hindi pa natin nakukuha, nasa family pa,” he said.

(Her belongings, including the car, were turned over to her family...We haven't gotten the cellphone yet, it's still with the family.)

Suerte said the family was advised not to delete any information from Cabral’s cellphone.

The Office of the Ombudsman earlier directed authorities in Benguet to secure the cellphone and other gadgets of Cabral.

"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.

On Thursday evening, Cabral was found “unconscious and unresponsive” about 20 to 30 meters below a highway, several hours after she asked her driver to drop her off at a section of Kennon Road.

The Tuba Municipal Station chief said a municipal doctor pronounced Cabral dead at the scene beside the Bued River at 12:03 a.m. on Friday.

According to the police, Cabral and her driver were traveling along Kennon Road toward La Union around 3:00 p.m. on Thursday when she requested to stop at Maramal, Camp 5, Camp 4, and asked to be left there.

The driver returned to the area around 5:00 p.m. but Cabral was not there. He later sought police assistance at about 7:00 p.m. after further efforts to find Cabral proved unsuccessful.

Baguio police went to the scene and found the victim at the side of the Bued River.—AOL, GMA Integrated News