The Philippine National Police (PNP) has shifted its investigation to reconstructing the final hours of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, following official confirmation that the remains recovered in Tuba, Benguet were hers.

PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the focus has moved from identification to determining what transpired before Cabral’s death, a case that has drawn heightened scrutiny due to her links to the multibillion-peso flood control controversy.

“With the confirmation of her death, we were able to clear up the speculation on the identity of the remains. The next step is to establish what really happened, and this is now the focus of all our efforts in relation to this case,” Nartatez said.

Cabral’s driver is currently undergoing questioning as investigators attempt to piece together a detailed timeline of her movements, decisions, and interactions prior to her death.

The PNP said it is also coordinating with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and other agencies to identify and secure documents or digital evidence that may be relevant not only to her death but also to the ongoing probe into alleged flood control anomalies.

The investigation has been expanded following the arrival of Cabral’s remains in Metro Manila before dawn on Sunday. 

Her body was transported from Benguet at around 11:30 p.m. Saturday and arrived at 3:21 a.m., hours after Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed that DNA and fingerprint examinations established her identity.

Remulla said the autopsy showed no signs of foul play, with medico-legal findings indicating blunt force trauma consistent with a fall. He said there were no ligature marks, gunshot wounds, or stab wounds noted during the examination.

Ion Hotel searched

Cabral, a veteran civil engineer and former DPWH undersecretary for planning and public-private partnerships, was found on 18 December about 20 to 30 meters below Kennon Road near the Bued River.

Police said she was discovered hours after she instructed her driver to leave her at a roadside portion of the highway in Tuba, Benguet. She was pronounced dead early the following day.

As part of the expanded probe, the Police Regional Office Cordillera formed a task force to consolidate investigative efforts. 

Authorities also served a search warrant on Ion Hotel in Baguio City, where Cabral and her driver had booked separate rooms, allowing police and National Bureau of Investigation operatives to secure CCTV footage, guest records, and personal belongings documented as evidence.

Investigators also conducted a crime scene reenactment along Kennon Road to assess environmental factors surrounding the incident, including visibility, terrain, and access points. 

Likewise, digital forensics teams are analyzing Cabral’s cellphone and other devices, correlating electronic data with CCTV footage and physical findings to establish a clearer sequence of events.

Nartatez said the PNP is reviewing internal procedures after a police official in Tuba was relieved due to lapses linked to the initial handling of the case. 

He ordered tighter supervision of units involved, citing the public interest in ensuring a credible and thorough investigation.

Ghost projects

While acknowledging the sensitivity of the case for Cabral’s family, Nartatez said securing potential evidence is necessary, particularly given Cabral’s reported involvement in flood control projects under scrutiny. 

Before her death, the Department of Justice was preparing to refer to the Office of the Ombudsman a plunder complaint involving alleged anomalies in Bulacan flood control projects, a case that reportedly included Cabral and other DPWH officials.

The flood control scandal came into sharp public focus earlier this year after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his State of the Nation Address, rebuked officials linked to anomalous projects with the now widely quoted line, “mahiya naman kayo” (you should be ashamed).

Subsequent legislative inquiries and audit findings pointed to alleged overpricing, ghost projects, and collusion between contractors and DPWH officials, prompting the creation of the ICI to examine the use of billions of pesos allocated for flood mitigation nationwide.