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December 19, 2025 | 1:35pm
Cabral's devices need subpoena for access
MANILA, Philippines — As speculation grows, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said former Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, who allegedly facilitated the "allocables" and kickbacks in the budget, showed no signs of being threatened before allegedly falling to her death.
However, Police Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez pointed out that Cabral may have left subtle indications in her final moments, making it crucial for authorities to secure her cellphone and other gadgets to determine whether foul play was involved.
"[Was] there something or someone na nagtulak sa kanya para gawin 'yun? Either tinulak siya or sarili na niya mismo ang nagsabi na gawin niya 'yun. Lahat po dapat ma-answer," he said at a press briefing on Friday, December 19. (Was there something or someone that pushed her to do that? Either she was pushed, or she herself decided to do it. Everything should be answered.)
According to Benguet police, Cabral was found unconscious on the night of December 18 at the bottom of a ravine along the Bued River, roughly 20 to 30 meters below Kennon Road in Tuba. She was later declared dead on arrival at the hospital, where her remains were released to her family.
Autopsy and access to phone
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said police have not yet retrieved Cabral’s cellphone and laptops from her family. He added that gaining access to these devices would also require a subpoena from the Sandiganbayan, the Ombudsman or the National Bureau of Investigation as part of the ongoing probe.
Cabral's body will also undergo an autopsy and a DNA test to confirm her identity and the cause of her death. However, Remulla said initial reports show no foul play and assumed she had been under severe stress due to the flood control investigation.
According to the police report, Cabral asked her driver to drop her off while they were driving along Kennon Road at 3 p.m. Two hours later, she could not be found. After checking her hotel and returning to the spot, the driver reported to the police, who discovered her body at the bottom of a ravine by 8 p.m.
The Philippine National Police has identified Cabral’s driver as a person of interest, considering his decision to leave her in a remote area despite knowing she had left her phone and bag in the vehicle as unusual.
A warning to the accused
Remulla warned other officials and contractors accused in the flood control corruption scandal, saying, "Death will not protect you."
"Death will even bring greater shame to your family. Face up to the charges, man up to the charges, answer to the charges and have faith in the judicial system," he added.
He also assured the public that "in life or in death," the government will continue pursuing those who misappropriated public funds and allowed corruption to thrive.
Remulla stressed that even a person’s death does not end an investigation, as the trail of evidence remains.
"No matter what you do, the law will go after you. In life or in death, the wheels of justice will turn," he said.
Cabral, who resigned from the DPWH after being implicated, headed the agency’s planning division, overseeing both projects and budgetary requirements. She was accused by Sens. Ping Lacson and Tito Sotto of contacting lawmakers to accommodate any insertions they wanted during the preparation of the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
A report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism also found that Cabral had devised the formula used to determine a lawmaker’s "allocables" in the budget, based on testimony from former Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo. Bernardo alleged she had set aside portions for herself and former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan.
RELATED: Ex-DPWH chief Manuel Bonoan misses Dec. 17 return date
Cabral, however, denied any involvement in the budget insertions or the alleged kickback scheme tied to the anomalous flood control projects. She only confirmed her role in preparing the DPWH's budget.
Are officials acting fast enough?
Coming at the height of ongoing arrests, Cabral’s death raises the question of whether officials are doing enough and acting fast enough to protect the lives of potential witnesses who hold critical information on the corruption scandal.
Remulla was asked this, but he simply said the agency cannot establish one as a witness "until the entire evidence trail is founded." Cabral was neither considered nor evaluated by the Department of Justice as a potential witness in the investigations.
The Independent Commission for Infrastructure was supposed to hold a hearing for her before the Christmas break, but she never confirmed attendance.
