Calls for a comprehensive investigation have intensified following the death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, who was found dead at a ravine along Kennon Road in Camp 5, Tuba, Benguet, on Thursday evening, December 18.
READ: Ex-DPWH Usec. Catalina Cabral found dead in Benguet
Benguet police director Col. Lambert Suerte said the incident was reported by Cabral’s driver, Ricardo Munos Hernandez.
Based on police findings, Cabral and Hernandez were traveling toward La Union at around 3 p.m. when Cabral asked to stop at Maramal, Camp 5, in Tuba. She reportedly instructed Hernandez to leave her there while he proceeded to a nearby gasoline station.
Hernandez returned to the area at around 5 p.m. but failed to locate Cabral. He then went back to their hotel in Baguio City, but Cabral was not there. He later returned to the site and reported the matter to the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) Station 8 at around 7 p.m.
A search operation was immediately launched, and police found Cabral at around 8 p.m. lying unconscious and unresponsive near the Bued River, an estimated 20 to 30 meters below the highway.
Personnel from the Tuba Municipal Police Station, the Tuba Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) retrieved Cabral’s remains and brought them to a funeral parlor in Barangay Irisan, Baguio City. The Benguet Provincial Forensic Unit conducted a crime scene investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The case quickly gained traction online, with online users calling for a full and transparent probe. Some commenters stressed the need for an autopsy, with one writing, “Now more than ever a comprehensive autopsy should be conducted here. Foul play/accident/suicide???”
Others raised questions about the sequence of events leading to Cabral’s death, particularly involving her driver. One X user commented, “Imbestigahan din ang driver, bakit magpapaiwan mag-isa doon sa bangin? Something fishy.”
Several social media users also expressed hope that forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun would be involved in examining Cabral’s remains.
“I was just thinking I hope you get to examine her remains,” an X user wrote.
“Doc, hoping you’ll be tapped to look into this,” another said.
“Ma’am sana kayo na humawak ng kasong ’yan. Very suspicious ang pagkamatay,” an X user commented.
Fortun herself emphasized the need for a proper death investigation, saying the case is “badly in need of death investigation to determine cause and manner of death.”
Cabral’s death also drew heightened public attention due to her past involvement in issues related to alleged irregularities in infrastructure projects during her tenure at the DPWH, which had previously been the subject of inquiries.
Police said Cabral’s driver has been held for further questioning at the request of her family as the investigation continues.
—Rosette Adel, with reports from The STAR/Artemio Dumlao
