Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Karen De Guzman

Zyann Ambrosio

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Video footage obtained by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) shows former Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral sitting between concrete barriers along Kennon Road at 3:25 p.m on December 18, which authorities said is consistent with the established timeline surrounding her <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">death</a>.</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;text-align:center"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:560px;height:315px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2004714113029849526&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-12-26T23%3A29%3A13.759936%3Ad76e48fe-5288-4e5d-9905-49624180cae3%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=17c16f8e2056a5dcdeba4066d8cd179543a01319&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2004714113029849526"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>According to the NBI, the dashcam footage—sought earlier from the public—was obtained and examined frame by frame. Investigators believe the video shows the last recorded moment she was seen alive.</p><p>Authorities noted that, in the footage, Cabral appeared to be alone, which contrasts with earlier photos and videos where she was seen standing or seated near her vehicle.</p><p>The NBI said the footage supports findings that she was alone when she fell to her death.</p><p>The NBI also reported that anti-anxiety medication and bladed weapons were recovered among Cabral’s belongings. </p><p>Examinations conducted in coordination with the forensic and behavioral science divisions suggest that the medication and the bladed weapons may indicate Cabral was under severe stress and may have had suicidal thoughts.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>OFFICIAL TIMELINE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Based on the official timeline of events shared with ABS-CBN News, Cabral arrived in Sitio Marangal, Camp 4, Kennon Road from Manila around 7 a.m. on December 18, accompanied by her driver, Ricardo Hernandez.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/19/driver-recounts-events-before-cabral-s-death-0806">&#x27;Okay naman po ang aura niya&#x27;: Driver recounts events before Cabral&#x27;s death</a></div><p>Around 9 a.m., two police officers arrived at the area and advised Cabral and her driver to leave because of safety concerns and the hazardous condition of the location, according to affidavits submitted to investigators.</p><p>Authorities said Cabral later checked into a hotel along Legarda Road in Baguio City between noon and 2 p.m.</p><p>Investigators noted that Cabral was last seen alive sitting on a concrete safety barrier near a cliff in Purok Marangal, Camp 5, where she reportedly asked her driver to leave her alone so she could “think.”</p><p>The newly recovered video, timestamped at 3:25 p.m., corroborates this account.</p><p>Around 5 p.m., the driver said he returned to the area but was unable to locate Cabral.</p><p>After also checking a nearby hotel, he formally reported her disappearance to the Baguio City Police around 7 p.m.</p><p>Around 8 p.m., authorities discovered Cabral unconscious and unresponsive along the side of the Bued River, around 20 to 30 meters below the highway.</p><p>First responders retrieved her remains from the riverbank around midnight of  December 19.</p><p>A municipal physician officially pronounced her dead shortly after midnight.</p><p>An <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/20/autopsy-showed-cabral-died-of-blunt-force-trauma-remulla-1609">autopsy </a>was conducted on December 20, as part of standard investigative procedures.</p><p>The NBI and the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) also implemented a search warrant from December 20 until early December 21 on the two rooms of the hotel where Cabral stayed, </p><p>On December 21, authorities conducted a crime scene reconstruction using 3D modeling to analyze the circumstances of the incident, including possible points of impact and trajectory.</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><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/J1XEyt2IAng?si=hH3yW3pc9hWBm1QT" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Video footage obtained by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of former Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral sitting along Kennon Road at 3:25 p.m on December 18 is consistent with the established timeline surrounding her <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">death</a>, authorities said.</p>

Video footage obtained by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of former Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral sitting along Kennon Road at 3:25 p.m on December 18 is consistent with the established timeline surrounding her death , authorities said.

NBI video matches timeline in death of ex-DPWH Usec. Cabral

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NBI video matches timeline in death of ex-DPWH Usec. Cabral

Karen De Guzman,

Zyann Ambrosio,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 27, 2025 10:17 AM PHT

Read More:

NBI

DPWH

Usec. Catalina Cabral

death

investigation

Kennon Road

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