Jonvic: Foul play in Cabral death ‘ruled out’

Authorities have ruled out the involvement of third parties in the death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, according to Jonvic Remulla, adding that findings so far point to the absence of foul play.

“Yes, it is ruled out that there was a third party involved in the incident outside of the driver and Usec. Cabral,” Remulla told reporters during a press briefing on Wednesday.

While the driver remains a person of interest, Remulla said investigators have found no conclusive evidence linking him to the incident.

“Yes, he is still a person of interest. We still have to look into his background, but based on our investigation so far, we see no conclusive links between him and the fall of Usec. Cabral,” he said.

Remulla added that investigators are also examining Cabral’s recent movements and communications, including whether there were threats to her safety or pending transactions prior to the incident.

He said applications for search warrants covering electronic devices are also part of ongoing efforts to establish a complete picture of events leading up to her death.

Meanwhile, Remulla confirmed that Cabral’s remains have been brought to Metro Manila, with biometric examinations strongly indicating her identity.

DNA results are still pending, he said, but fingerprints and other identifiers already matched with a high degree of certainty.

“The results of the DNA test are yet to be released, but the fingerprints matched and her photos matched. The only issue was a slight discrepancy between older and newer photos, which we believe may be due to plastic surgery done beforehand. Otherwise, all biometric features indicate that it is her with a great degree of certainty,” Remulla explained.