Prior to passing, Cabral showed ‘signs’ of cooperation' — Lacson

December 19, 2025 | 4:18pm

MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Catalina Cabral had shown "signs of cooperating" with the Senate’s probe into the flood control scam, according to Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chair Ping Lacson on Friday, December 19.

Cabral was embroiled in the DPWH flood control scandal, with testimonies pointing to her as a key figure in facilitating massive kickback schemes. Following Cabral’s sudden death, senators lamented her passing and were left wondering what else she could have known.

Lacson revealed that while they were investigating the flood control scam, Cabral, through her lawyer, contacted him, asking how she could proceed with her testimony at the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing. The conversation with Cabral's lawyer happened on November 14.

The veteran lawmaker said that Cabral "was showing some signs of cooperating with our investigation but with a lot of pressure which we could not explain."

"It was unfortunate and tragic that former Undersecretary Catalina Cabral would end her life at a time when she could have significantly contributed to blowing wide open the extent of corruption not only in flood control projects but all other anomalies in the infrastructure program of the DPWH," Lacson said.

This was right after former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo tagged Cabral and former secretary Manuel Bonoan in the multi-billion kickback scheme. Cabral would allegedly approach lawmakers with offers of getting kickbacks: an accusation that gained more ground after Senate President Tito Sotto showed a screenshot of her message to his team.

After this allegation surfaced, Cabral disappeared from the public eye, until news of her falling to her death in Baguio made headlines.

Sotto said that her loss was heavy.

“Malungkot yan kasi maraming masyadong nalalaman si former Usec Cabral tungkol sa mga goings on ng DPWH even many years before, up to now,” Sotto said in a press briefing on Friday.

(That is sad because Usec. Cabral knew a lot about the goings on in the DPWH, even many years before, up to now.)

Meanwhile, the Palace remained tight-lipped on Cabral’s death, only offering their sympathies to Cabral’s families. Asked if President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would issue a directive to investigate her death further, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said that the proper authorities were already looking into the matter.

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