The Philippine National Police said it is now concentrating on securing and examining all available evidence surrounding the death of former Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, whose body was found in Benguet. PNP Acting Chief Jose Nartatez Jr. said investigators are interrogating Cabral’s driver, who admitted leaving her along Kennon Road in Tuba upon her request. Authorities are now working to establish the exact circumstances that led to her death, following confirmation of her identity. Cabral, who previously oversaw planning and public-private partnership projects at the DPWH, was declared dead in the early hours of December 19. She was found unconscious and unresponsive near the Bued River, around 20 to 30 meters below the roadway where she was last seen. In parallel investigations, the Office of the Ombudsman has instructed local authorities to secure Cabral’s mobile phone and other electronic devices. Meanwhile, operatives from the National Bureau of Investigation searched her hotel room in Baguio City for possible evidence linked to her final movements. Nartatez added that the PNP is coordinating with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure and other agencies to ensure that all potential evidence—particularly those connected to the ongoing probe into alleged anomalous flood control projects—is preserved. He also ordered tighter supervision of police units handling the case after the local police chief in Tuba was relieved, stressing that the investigation must leave no evidence unchecked.
