Consti law expert warns vs bid to bar access to 'Cabral files'

A constitutional law expert on Sunday warned against supposed attempts to conceal the contents of the so-called “Cabral files,” saying the documents are public records and that the public has a constitutional right to access them.

Former Integrated Bar of the Philippines national president Domingo Egon Cayosa said the files—reported to have been prepared under the supervision of the late Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral—pertain to the use of public funds and therefore belong to the State.

“Fundamentally and in reality, what they call the Cabral files are public documents. They are files owned by the Republic of the Philippines and pertain to the use of public funds,” Cayosa said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

“Under the Constitution, the people have the right—under the transparency provision—to know what is inside them,” he added.

The files allegedly detail DPWH project items and list their corresponding “proponents,” reportedly including members of Congress, senators, Cabinet officials, and even private individuals.

The controversy erupted after Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste released portions of the Cabral files on social media.

The documents included summaries of DPWH budget allocations per district, province, and region from 2023 to 2026, or what would later be referred to as "allocables."

Cayosa said public officials who have custody of the documents are legally bound to disclose them under the principle of accountability.

“All those in government are bound by the principle of accountability. On the part of public officials, it is their duty and obligation to inform the public of the contents of these documents,” he said.

He warned that attempts to hide the files behind technicalities or legal maneuvers undermine public trust.

“When they hide these behind technicalities or legal ploys, it is deeply saddening. We suffer twice—we have already been robbed, and yet we still do not know who is behind it,” Cayosa said.

Leviste has faced criticism for making the files public, with critics claiming the disclosure violated the rights of Cabral, who died under still-unresolved circumstances after her body was found at the bottom of a ravine in Benguet.

Cayosa, however, stressed that the files are neither the personal property of Cabral nor of any DPWH official.

“They are also not the personal property of the Secretary of the DPWH or anyone else. These are material and relevant documents or data pertaining to the use of public funds,” he said.

Leviste has claimed that Cabral herself provided him with the files, a claim disputed by some DPWH personnel who alleged that the lawmaker forcibly obtained the documents from her office.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has also said he possesses documents that corroborate the contents of the Cabral files.

The DPWH has since turned over all computers and files used by Cabral to the Office of the Ombudsman, which is conducting a corruption investigation.—MCG, GMA Integrated News