Unsettling end to 2025

A week after the reported death of DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral, the fog surrounding the circumstances of her passing has only thickened. What should have been a period marked by sober disclosure and institutional candor has instead been defined by silence, fragmented statements and an unmistakable reluctance to confront legitimate public questions.

Indeed, the best time to spark a controversy is during the Christmas holidays, when everybody is too busy and no one would dare hold a rally or lobby for an intense investigation.

Last week’s developments did little to reassure a skeptical public. Authorities continued to rely on generalities, such as “under investigation,” “sensitive matter,” and “respect for the family,” without offering a coherent narrative supported by verifiable facts. These phrases, while humane in tone, have become convenient shields against accountability. Compassion for the bereaved does not preclude transparency.

Into this vacuum stepped Congressman Leandro Leviste, who made public what have now been dubbed the “Cabral files.” Whatever one’s political persuasion, the disclosure is significant.

These documents, purportedly containing communications, project records, and names linked to flood control projects, underscore why clarity surrounding Undersecretary Cabral’s death matters. The files reinforce the premise that she was not a peripheral figure but a key node in a bureaucratic and technical network whose decisions involved staggering sums of public money.

Compounding public unease is the resignation of Rosanna Fajardo of SGV as commissioner of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI). The timing of her departure, amid mounting questions and incomplete disclosures, inevitably raises concerns about the stability and credibility of the very body tasked to provide an impartial accounting.

An independent commission draws its legitimacy not merely from its mandate but from the perceived independence, continuity, and moral authority of its members. A high-profile resignation, unexplained or insufficiently contextualized, weakens that perception and feeds doubts about whether the inquiry can truly operate free from internal or external pressures.

The government’s muted response, both to the Cabral files and to the resignation, remains troubling. There has been no categorical authentication of the documents, no systematic refutation, nor a clear explanation of how the ICI will address leadership gaps without compromising its work. In law, silence in the face of serious allegations is rarely prudent. In governance, it is almost always corrosive.

Legally, the implications remain profound. While death may extinguish personal criminal liability, it does not erase facts. The Cabral files, if genuine, may now assume heightened evidentiary value, serving as substitutes for testimony that can no longer be given.

Quo vadis in 2026? Transparency delayed is accountability denied. If independent bodies falter and disclosures remain piecemeal, public trust will erode further, precisely when it is needed most to ensure that truth, not silence, prevails. Happy New Year, everyone, yet the unsettling end tells us it will be a repeat of before. Cheers!

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