Former Undersecretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways Maria Catalina Cabral died from blunt force trauma consistent with a fall, medical findings showed. The autopsy revealed no signs of strangulation, gunshot wounds, or stab injuries. Cabral, a veteran civil engineer, was found unresponsive on December 18 near Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, approximately 20 to 30 meters below the highway beside the Bued River. The remains of Cabral arrived in Metro Manila before dawn on Sunday following their transfer from Benguet. Reports indicate her body reached Manila at around 3:21 a.m. after departing Benguet late Saturday night. Authorities had previously confirmed that the remains recovered in Tuba, Benguet, belonged to Cabral, with Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government Jonvic Remulla stating that DNA and fingerprint examinations matched her identity. Remulla also disclosed that the autopsy results showed no indication of foul play. She was pronounced dead the following day. Her death has drawn public attention as she had been linked to ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities in flood control projects, including a case that the Department of Justice was preparing to refer to the Office of the Ombudsman prior to her passing.