SP Sotto: Probe on Cabral's death should be left to NBI, PNP

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said Friday that the investigation into the sudden death of former Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral should now be left in the hands of key investigative government agencies.

According to Sotto, Cabral’s passing has nothing to do with the Senate blue ribbon committee’s own probe into on the anomalous flood control projects. He also said no senator has so far expressed inclination to investigate the matter.

“Syempre the investigators, the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) or the Philippine National Police, dapat naman talaga imbestigahan, pero I don't think it has anything to do with the Senate investigation…’yung pagkamatay,” the Senate leader said.

(Of course the investigators such as the NBI and PNP really have to investigate that. But I don't think her death has anything to do with the Senate investigation.)

“‘Yung kinalaman niya at kinaalaman niya talagang dapat talagang malaman ng Senado lahat ‘yan. Pero doon sa pagkamatay, let’s leave it to the investigators,” he added.

(The Senate must know Cabral’s involvement in or knowledge of the controversy. But as to her death, let's leave it to the investigators.)

Earlier in the day, Benguet police confirmed the death of Cabral after an alleged fall. She was earlier found “unconscious and unresponsive” beside the Bued River, 20 to 30 meters below a highway hours after she told her driver to leave her along Kennon Road.

'Key figure'

Sotto lamented Cabral’s death, noting that she was a key figure in the flood control scandal.

“Mabigat din ‘yun, malungkot din ‘yun kasi maraming masyadong nalalaman si former Usec. Cabral tungkol diyan sa mga goings-on ng DPWH even many years before up to now, talagang ilang taon siya roon,” he said.

(That’s heavy and sad because former Usec. Cabral knew a lot about the goings-on in the DPWH because she worked there for a long time.)

Asked if he thinks there was foul play, Sotto said he could not ascertain as he is not part of the investigation.

“Ni hindi ko siya nakausap eh. Never ko siyang nakausap from the time that I was senator up to now—na hindi ako naging senador at ngayon senador na ako uli—hindi ko siya nakakausap eh except during the hearing,” he added.

(I never talked to her. We never conversed from the time I was not a senator up until now. I never talked to her except during the hearing.)

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on Friday called for a thorough investigation into the untimely death of Cabral in order to determine if there was foul play. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News