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Cabral

Karen De Guzman

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/17665515622241766126891644550748805_1334927492005937_1189491601310810037_n_cropped_processed_by_imagy.webp" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">The Blue Ribbon Committee resumed its inquiry on anomalous flood control projects on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. <em>Voltaire F. Domingo/JBV/Senate Social Media Unit/Facebook</em></span></span></span></div><div><em>TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains references to suicide.</em></div><p>MANILA — Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Catalina Cabral may have been suffering from insomnia, possibly caused by depression or anxiety, based on the medications recovered from her hotel room in Baguio City, according to a psychiatrist.</p><p>Based on an inventory sheet obtained by ABS-CBN News, authorities recovered several medicines, including melatonin, lemborexant (Dayvigo), escitalopram, and quetiapine, aside from a knife and other personal belongings.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/23/cathy-cabral-tested-positive-for-antidepressant-pnp-toxicology-report-1903">Cathy Cabral tested positive for antidepressant: PNP toxicology report</a></div><p>A toxicology report showed that Cabral tested positive for citalopram, an antidepressant drug.</p><p>Psychiatrist-psychologist Dr. Randy Dellosa said the combination of medications pointed to treatment for sleep disorders and underlying mental health conditions.</p><p>“There were a number of medicines, katulad ng lemborexant or Dayvigo. This is a sleep aid. And then there is quetiapine, this is also [used as] a sleep aid. And third medication on the list is escitalopram, an antidepressant may be used perhaps for depression, for trauma, for anxiety,” Dellosa said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/23/dpwh-surrenders-computer-files-of-cathy-cabral-to-ombudsman-1304">DPWH surrenders computer, files of Cathy Cabral to Ombudsman</a></div><p>“With this regimen of medications, it&#x27;s most probable that the person taking this has insomnia and there might be depression or anxiety,” he added.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;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:528px;height:297px;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=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2003663510212169934&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fpersonal%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-12-24T04%3A40%3A19.723952%3A76f165ab-cb7b-4ba2-b98f-6f0e2f20cb9c%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=d9561298815f6f2ccab636a95b96bf9a06e4a27f&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2003663510212169934"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>Dellosa explained that quetiapine is sometimes prescribed for psychosis, a psychiatric condition that may involve hallucinations or delusions, but it can also be used for severe insomnia or anxiety, particularly in patients with major depression.</p><p>He noted that the presence of multiple sleep aids could indicate that the insomnia was difficult to treat.</p><p>“There is an indication that there is a duplication of medications for the same purpose. So it means that the person might really be experiencing insomnia that might be difficult to treat. That&#x27;s why there was a duplication or triplication of medications,” he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/23/dilg-cabral-found-dead-near-allegedly-overpriced-project-site-1209">DILG: Cabral found near questionable rock-netting project; knife, medicines recovered in hotel room</a></div><p>Dellosa also pointed out that while escitalopram is commonly prescribed in the Philippines, citalopram is less commonly used locally, raising the possibility that one of the antidepressants could have been prescribed abroad.</p><p>Cabral allegedly died by suicide along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, with authorities confirming that she sustained fatal injuries consistent with a fall.</p><p>Officials have said there were no indications of foul play so far, and investigations into the circumstances surrounding her death were ongoing.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-Jd8lsvRsFw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Former public works undersecretary Catalina Cabral may have been suffering from insomnia, possibly caused by depression or anxiety, based on the medications recovered from her hotel room in Baguio City, according to a psychiatrist.</p>

Former public works undersecretary Catalina Cabral may have been suffering from insomnia, possibly caused by depression or anxiety, based on the medications recovered from her hotel room in Baguio City, according to a psychiatrist.

Cathy Cabral may have suffered insomnia linked to depression, anxiety: psychiatrist

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Cathy Cabral may have suffered insomnia linked to depression, anxiety: psychiatrist

Karen De Guzman,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 24, 2025 12:55 PM PHT

Read More:

DPWH

Catalina Cabral

Depression

Anxiety

Insomia

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