DOJ eyes civil forfeiture cases on Cabral assets

The government will pursue civil forfeiture proceedings on the properties of former Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon said on Friday.

According to Fadullon, while her death extinguished her from criminal liability, the DOJ will file civil forfeiture cases and preserve the assets under her name.

"Patuloy ang investigation na gagawin dahil hindi lang naman 'yan sa restitution... May iba't ibang paraan para alamin 'yan at 'yan ay ginagawa kasalukuyan ng AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council)," Fadullon said.

(We will continue with the investigation because there are many ways to preserve the assets apart from restitution. The AMLC is currently doing that.)

"That is an ongoing investigation, which is still going to be undertaken, to try to preserve the assets under the name of Cabral," he added.

Police earlier said investigators probing Cabral's death will focus on the incident's potential links to the flood control corruption scandal.

Fadullon said a case involving Cabral and allegedly anomalous flood control projects was being evaluated.

"We have one case that is being referred for the evaluation of the Ombudsman involving Usec.Catalina Cabral. Ito ay ipapadala sa Office of the Ombudsman para suriin sana but I think overtaken by events, because of what happened," Fadullon said.

"Ito 'yung mga kaso na di lang naglilimita sa mga officials ng Bulacan district engineering office but ito ay umakyat na, may mga evidence na nagtuturo rin sa mga proponent na nakinabang sa mga projects na to," he said.

(This case is not limited to the officials of the Bulacan district engineering office, but also the proponents who may have benefitted from the projects.)

Cabral was found “unconscious and unresponsive” about 20 to 30 meters below a highway on Thursday, 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. —NB, GMA Integrated News