De Lima criticizes PNP over Cabral death investigation handling

House Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima criticized the Philippine National Police (PNP) for turning over the cellphone of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral to her family, saying the move may have compromised evidence in the investigation of her death.

“It seems that the PNP is not treating this as a death under investigation, but as an ordinary death where the family has prerogative over personal effects and the body itself, which should not be the case since this is a suspicious death involving a controversial personality,” De Lima said.

Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, who chaired the House probe on flood control projects, agreed with De Lima on the need to retrieve Cabral’s records, which could help clarify the alleged corruption schemes in the projects.

Cabral, who was implicated in multi-billion-peso flood control anomalies, reportedly fell from a 30-meter cliff along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, late Thursday. Her family later consented to a medico-legal autopsy, which confirmed that the remains were Cabral’s and that the cause of death was blunt traumatic injury consistent with a fall.

De Lima emphasized that the sudden death of Cabral makes securing potential evidence, such as her cellphone, critical to understanding the alleged irregularities she was involved in.

“With the sudden death of former Usec. Cabral, many questions may no longer be answered and clarified. Therefore, authorities must act with urgency in seeking and protecting evidence related to what happened to her and the anomalies she was involved in,” she said in Filipino, adding that accountability for the flood control irregularities must not be lost with her death.

Cabral served in public office for over 40 years and resigned as DPWH Undersecretary for Planning and Public-Private Partnership after being implicated in alleged budget insertions and kickbacks. Her death drew scrutiny amid ongoing investigations that also involve lawmakers, senior DPWH officials, and contractors.

In September, Senator Ping Lacson linked Cabral to irregularities in budget insertions, saying she contacted Senator Tito Sotto’s staff after the May 2025 elections to inquire about public works projects for potential inclusion in the 2026 national budget. The system reportedly involved offers of kickbacks for projects she would help insert into the budget, which would then be funded after congressional and executive approval.