PNP: 3D scan suggests Cabral slid into Benguet ravine, not pushed

A three-dimensional scan of the ravine where the body of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral was found indicates that she likely slid off the slope and was not pushed, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.

In a press briefing, PNP Forensic Group officer in charge Police Colonel Pierre Paul Carpio said the victim’s body was located only about 0.2 meters from the base of the ravine, a distance that, according to investigators, makes it unlikely she was pushed.

“If she had been pushed, chances are the body would have landed farther away,” Carpio said in Filipino, citing the scene reconstruction.

Investigators also noted abrasions on Cabral’s hands and back, which they said are consistent with sliding along the slope.

The ravine was measured at around 16.9 meters deep from the road edge, with an estimated slope of about 8.58 degrees and some vegetation present.

Cabral was found unconscious and unresponsive on 8 December, about 20 to 30 meters below Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, hours after she reportedly asked her driver to drop her off along a section of the highway.

A municipal doctor pronounced her dead at the scene beside the Bued River on 19 December.

Police said an autopsy showed she died from blunt traumatic injuries due to a fall from height. Based on forensic findings, death was estimated to have occurred between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on 18 December.

The PNP said multiple examinations were completed, including fingerprint identification, histopathology, DNA testing, toxicology, and a 3D scene scan. Fingerprint analysis confirmed the identity of the victim as Cabral.

Toxicology results showed the presence of citalopram, an antidepressant medication.

Police said such drugs can cause side effects, including drowsiness and weakness, and are regulated medications prescribed by doctors with the appropriate authority. Investigators added that alcohol intake can heighten similar effects, though no further details were provided.

Carpio said the combined findings from the autopsy, scene reconstruction, and laboratory examinations support the conclusion that Cabral sustained injuries consistent with a fall. No cellphone or suicide note was recovered at the scene, police said.

Initial police findings have pointed to suicide, though authorities emphasized that conclusions were based on the correlation of forensic evidence gathered.

Cabral resigned from the DPWH in September 2025 amid congressional investigations into alleged irregularities in flood control projects, including claims of kickbacks involving lawmakers and government officials. She was among those implicated in the so-called flood control mess.

The PNP said the investigation remains documented through forensic and laboratory findings, which it described as consistent with the incident being a fall from height rather than foul play.