‘Cabral files’ proof of innocence in flood control mess, says lawyer

The late Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral was supposed to turn over six boxes of documents to her lawyer as proof of her innocence in the flood control controversy, her lawyer said.

According to Maki Pulido’s report on “24 Oras” on Wednesday, Cabral’s lawyer Mae Divinagracia said she was supposed to receive the documents from her client, but the turnover did not push through and the documents are now missing.

“Those documents would show na (that) she was just really following orders coming from Secretary Bonoan, directing her to vet and review certain projects if it is qualified for funding,” Divinagracia said.

In a Senate blue ribbon committee hearing last year, ex-Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo tagged Cabral as the alleged mastermind of the kickback scheme at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Bernardo alleged that the late Cabral had the power to add, insert, or remove projects that are funded in the National Expenditure Program.

“Ang sinasabi niya hindi niya alam, kasi kung meron man, mangyayari yan siguro sa awarding or implementation. But she was never a district engineer, she was never a director,” Divinagracia said.

(Cabral told me she knew nothing, because if something is happening, it would be in the awarding or implementation. But she was never a district engineer; she was never a director.)

“Hindi niya alam ang nangyayari sa mga district engineering offices and regional offices (She did not know what’s happening in the district engineering offices and regional offices). The person who has supervision and control over these offices are the undersecretaries for operations,” she added.

Divinagracia stressed that her client never received kickbacks and lived in a simple home in Quezon City with her family.

She pointed out that if Cabral had P20 billion, her family would live in a more opulent home – but she and her children remained at their house until she died.

Divinagracia added that one of Cabral’s children works as a cook in a hotel, while the other is a Salary Grade 11 government employee.

Before she was found dead at a ravine in Benguet in mid-December 2025, Cabral allegedly made attempts on her life after Bernardo tagged her in the flood control scandal.

“Laging niyang tinatanong sa akin, pinapatawag ba si Secretary Bonoan? Bakit meron mga offers of immunity dun sa mga tao who already admitted their participation in this scheme?” Cabral’s lawyer said.

(She always asked me if former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan was summoned. Why are there offers of immunity for those who already admitted their participation in this scheme?)

“She felt abandoned. She felt she was being made a scapegoat,” Divinagracia added.

Cabral’s lawyer said her client was willing to face the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) hearing but did not receive any invitation.

Cabral’s camp wrote to the ICI on December 15 to convey this. Three days later, Cabral passed away. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/JMA, GMA Integrated News