Marilyn Cahatol

Former Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Catalina Cabral attends the Blue Ribbon Committee probe into anomalous flood control projects at the Philippine Senate on September 1, 2025.  Courtesy of the Senate of the Philippines Social Media Unit

Article (news)

PH SENATE

Jeff Caparas

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176619392389220250901-senate-blue-ribbon-usec-catalina-cabral-SSMU.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Catalina Cabral attends the Blue Ribbon Committee probe into anomalous flood control projects at the Philippine Senate on September 1, 2025.  <em>Courtesy of the Senate of the Philippines Social Media Unit </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The family of the former Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral has agreed to an autopsy on her remains, Cordillera police said.</p><p>Lawmakers, including Mamamayang Liberal Party-List Rep. Leila De Lima, have called for an autopsy on Cabral, who was found dead and is believed to have fallen down a cliff in Benguet.</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:514px;height:413px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2002176398719689042&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-12-20T01%3A11%3A58.452742%3A9464f968-191a-401e-bd67-053aaffbc3a2%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=f0fbcbf5c048121bb5b93202b630c0016a54d7af&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2002176398719689042"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>De Lima on Saturday questioned the initial decision of Cabral&#x27;s family not to have her remains autopsied despite concerns that there may have been foul play in her death.</p><p>“There is no question that in the crucial investigation of cases such as suspicious deaths, an autopsy and DNA tests are indispensable,” De Lima said in a Facebook post.</p><p>She said the family accepting that Cabral had died in an accident “gives rise to speculation that the body is not Cabral’s and the driver and family are all involved in the alleged staged suicide.”</p><p>Cabral<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/18/former-dpwh-usec-cabral-found-unconscious-after-falling-from-benguet-cliff-police-say-2355"> passed away</a> Thursday night after allegedly falling from a cliff along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet.</p><p>This amid the ongoing investigation into the anomalous flood control projects, where she was being implicated for allegedly leading the distribution of “allocables” to lawmakers.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/19/who-was-catalina-cabral-and-how-could-her-death-affect-flood-control-probe-1455">Who was Cathy Cabral, and how could her death affect flood control probe?</a></div><p>Several lawmakers expressed doubt about the &quot;suicide,&quot; saying an investigation is needed to ensure her death was not caused by foul play.</p><p>Cabral’s family, however, asserted the former DPWH official’s remains <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/19/cathy-cabral-s-family-won-t-have-her-remains-autopsied-believes-her-death-is-accidental-2026">will not undergo autopsy</a> as “they do not see anything suspicious in her recovered body.”</p><p>The family also said they prefer to be with Cabral’s remains this Christmas season.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/19/lawmakers-seek-probe-into-cabral-s-death-protection-of-flood-control-evidence-1612">‘Will truth die with her?’: Lawmakers seek probe into Cabral&#x27;s death, protection of flood control evidence</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>PNP ‘BOTCHING THIS UP’</strong></div><p>De Lima also asked why Philippine National Police “appears to be botching this up by going easy in securing Cabral’s belongings.”</p><p>This despite the Office of the Ombudsman’s order to preserve her gadgets and documents, as they may contain crucial information related to the anomalous flood control projects.</p><p>“It seems that the PNP is not treating this as a death under investigation, but as an ordinary death where family has prerogative over personal effects and the body itself, which should not be the case since this is a suspicious death involving a controversial personality,” the House member said.</p><p>Some questions may be buried with Cabral, so the authorities should have the urgency to search and preserve evidence on the truth behind her death and the anomaly she was involved in, according to De Lima.</p><p>“Hindi pwedeng sa pagkamatay niya ay mailibing na rin ang mga katibayan, lalo na ang buong katotohanan, sa malawakang katiwalian at pandarambong sa kaban ng bayan,” she said.</p><p>(Her death should not also bury the evidence, especially the truth behind the massive corruption.)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/19/cabral-included-in-plunder-case-set-to-be-referred-to-ombudsman-1750">Cabral included in plunder case set to be referred to Ombudsman</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x1VHYiVJR30?si=T49L3XfR2Ae4Cy_M" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The family of the former Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral has agreed to an autopsy on her remains, Cordillera police said.</p>

The family of the former Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral has agreed to an autopsy on her remains, Cordillera police said.

Cabral family agrees to autopsy of former DPWH exec's remains — Cordillera police

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Cabral family agrees to autopsy of former DPWH exec's remains — Cordillera police

Marilyn Cahatol,

Jeff Caparas,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 20, 2025 09:46 AM PHT

|

Updated December 20, 2025 04:05 PM PHT

Read More:

Cathy Cabral

Leila De Lima

DPWH

ML Party-list

flood control

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