Authorities have mounted a thorough investigation into the death of controversial former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina ‘Cathy’ Cabral, amid questions of whether she killed herself, or was murdered to prevent her possible testimony in ongoing inquiries into the multibillion-peso infrastructure projects scandal.
Her family refused an autopsy, but according to Dr. Rod Leal, the former medico-legal officer of PROCOR (Police Regional Office in the Cordillera), the state might mandate it, on the basis of Presidential Decree 856 that states that the corpse belongs to the state if death is under controversial circumstances.
Cabral was found dead late on December 18, 2025, after what appeared to be a fall into a ravine along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, her mangled body found in a rocky area. A doctor who first examined her said she must have been dead seven hours-or roughly the time she parted with her driver and asked to be left alone on the narrow portion of the highway.
Police reports said Cabral, 63, was traveling with her driver, Ricardio Munos Hernandez, when she asked to be dropped off near Camp 4 at around 3 p.m. Hernandez later returned but failed to find her, prompting him to search nearby areas and eventually report the matter to Baguio police.
Responding personnel discovered Cabral’s body later that evening. According to the police report, authorities ‘found the victim at the side of Bued River more or less 20 to 30 meters below the highway unconscious and unresponsive.’
Rescue teams from Tuba MDRRMO and BFP retrieved her body and coordinated with the Benguet Provincial Forensic Unit for investigation.
Trailblazer in DPWH
Cabral was a civil engineer and the first female rank-and-file employee of DPWH to rise to the post of Undersecretary for Planning and PPP. She held multiple doctorates and master’s degrees, with training certificates from Wharton and Harvard Kennedy School.
In recent months, she had been hounded by controversy over alleged anomalies in flood control projects, including budget ‘insertions’ and ghost projects flagged in congressional hearings. She resigned from the DPWH in September but remained a central figure in ongoing investigations.
ICI, Ombudsman want gadgets secured
The Integrity Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) said Cabral was ‘no doubt privy to vital information’ as undersecretary for planning.
ICI spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka urged law-enforcement agencies to secure her documents, gadgets, and computers for digital forensics, and called for a thorough probe into her death to rule out foul play.
The Ombudsman directed Benguet authorities to preserve Cabral’s cellphone and other gadgets for turnover to investigators.
Cabral’s death comes as the ICI continues hearings into anomalous flood control projects, where she had been invited as a resource person.
In the Senate, Blue Ribbon panel chairman Panfilo Lacson lamented her death, and revealed that despite her initial noncooperation, there had been efforts to get her to shed light on key matters in its investigation.
PNP chief seeks thorough probe
Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered a thorough investigation into Cabral’s death.
He ordered the head of the Police Regional Office Cordillera Administrative Region to ensure that all angles are looked into in order to come up with a clear picture of what really happened.
‘I have already ordered a thorough investigation into this incident for us to have a clear picture of what happened. While there was already an initial impression regarding what happened, we should not rule out any factor until our forensic investigators are able to establish the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it,’ Nartatez said.
Cabral was reported missing by her driver. He told the police that Cabral asked him to leave her for a bit alongside a portion of the Kennon Ride while they were traveling from Baguio City to La Union.
When the driver went back from the nearest gas station, Cabral was not in the area.
The driver then went back to the hotel where they stayed, prompting him to seek police assistance as she was nowhere to be found.
The body of Cabral was later found and taken to the nearest funeral parlor.
Nartatez said the investigation is intended to seek the truth amid various speculations being posted on social media.
‘We appeal to the public, especially the netizens, to refrain from speculating and wait instead for the official result of the investigation,’ Nartatez said.