A group of lawmakers has filed a resolution seeking a House inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, amid conflicting claims and speculations over the cause of her demise. House Resolution (HR) No. 606, filed on Monday, calls on the House committee on good government and public accountability and the committee on public works and highways to jointly investigate issues linked to Cabral’s death. De Lima stated that the proposed inquiry does not aim to determine Cabral’s possible criminal liability, but to clarify the circumstances of her death and prevent similar incidents involving potential witnesses in the future. "This is not an investigation about Undersecretary Cabral herself. We are not going to look into her criminal liability because death extinguishes criminal liability," De Lima said. Earlier reports indicated that Cabral was found Thursday night unconscious near the riverbank of Bued River, around 20 to 30 meters below Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet. She was later declared dead by physicians at the scene due to injuries from a fall. Police had previously stated that Cabral’s driver, Ricardo Hernandez, reported that he was driving her along Kennon Road when she asked to disembark and be left alone at Sitio Camp 5, Purok Maramal, at around 3 p.m. Hernandez said he returned at about 5 p.m. to look for her but could not find her, and later went back to their hotel in Baguio City. The incident has drawn questions from lawmakers and netizens, who cited alleged inconsistencies in the timeline. "What we want to look into are the circumstances of her death and the many theories surrounding it," De Lima said. She cited varying claims about the cause of Cabral’s death, including suicide, a staged incident, an accident, or possible foul play. She said it was premature for authorities to rule out foul play, given Cabral’s reported role and knowledge related to infrastructure and flood control projects. Separately, concerns were raised over documents reportedly in Cabral’s possession. Legarda Leviste said he has copies of the documents and would release them if allowed by the Department of Public Works and Highways and its secretary, Vince Dizon. Erice earlier questioned the decision to leave Cabral alone along Kennon Road for several hours, calling it illogical and deserving of closer scrutiny. The resolution also seeks to examine the roles of project proponents, contractors, consultants, and public officials in the planning, approval, funding, and implementation of such projects; the apparent inaction or insufficient action of government investigative, auditing, and oversight bodies in securing material information from Cabral; and the adequacy of existing laws and mechanisms to ensure transparency, accountability, and protection for individuals with knowledge of irregularities in infrastructure projects.
