Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

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/176698077503620251229031248_2f6956ca07f5d4f0d7778a5dbc41375cf1a4e4e698619118486bb13f277b0cf2_cropped_processed_by_imagy.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em>📷༘ PNP Forensic Group via Karen de Guzman, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Police investigators said forensic findings suggested that former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Catalina Cabral could have intentionally slid down a ravine along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, and was not pushed off the cliff.</p><p>Philippine National Police (PNP) Forensic Group officer-in-charge Col. Pierre Paul Carpio said they used 3D scanning technology to reconstruct the incident site.</p><p>The scan showed that the vertical distance from the highway to the base of the ravine was about 16.9 meters, or about six to nine floors.</p><p>“‘Yung correlation makikita niyo ang layo nung katawan ng ating victim or cadaver or is around only 0.2 meters around the base of the ravine. So kung tinulak ito chances are lalayo pa siya doon,” Carpio said. </p><p>“Makikita niyo dito ang kamay niya ay mas gasgas pati ‘yung likod may gasgas. So ang laki ng probabilidad na nagpadausdos siya,” he added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/22/dilg-on-cathy-cabral-s-death-all-signs-point-to-suicide-0937">DILG on Cathy Cabral&#x27;s death: &#x27;All signs point to suicide&#x27;</a></div><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:440px;height:247px;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=2005478971547476028&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%3A2025-12-29T03%3A27%3A57.911044%3Ab939e602-0908-45ff-81a6-49bff2b3f398%26action%3Dcorrect&amp;sessionId=e8976b5ba2dc86db0865f5e913f827743e4eda77&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2005478971547476028"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>Police have completed the autopsy, which showed that the cause of death was blunt traumatic injuries due to a fall from a height. </p><p>Post-mortem findings also indicated that the death occurred between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on December 18.</p><p>Earlier toxicology results revealed that Cabral had been taking citalopram, an antidepressant. </p><p>Police noted that the medication could have side effects such as drowsiness and weakness.</p><p>Carpio explained that antidepressant and anti-psychiatric medications are known to have calming effects and may influence a person’s decision-making, which is why such drugs are closely monitored and regulated by doctors.</p><p>“Isa sa mga primary actions ng anti-psychiatric or antidepressant drug is pinapakalma niya ‘yung tao. Usually nagkakaroon sila ng suicidal behavior that’s why isa ito sa mga tinitingnan or mino-monitor ng mga doctor na may S2 that’s why it is a regulated drug.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/23/potential-house-probe-on-cabral-death-to-summon-dpwh-encoders-bonoan-1156">Potential House probe on Cabral death to summon DPWH encoders, Bonoan</a></div><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-1" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:440px;height:247px;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=2005485304124465543&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%3A2025-12-29T03%3A27%3A57.911044%3Ab939e602-0908-45ff-81a6-49bff2b3f398%26action%3Dcorrect&amp;sessionId=e8976b5ba2dc86db0865f5e913f827743e4eda77&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2005485304124465543"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>Authorities are still awaiting DNA samples from Cabral’s relatives, either ascendants or descendants, to serve as reference. </p><p>However, no family members have volunteered to provide samples yet.</p><p>Despite this, Carpio clarified that fingerprint analysis has already confirmed Cabral’s identity. </p><p>“Ang DNA ay isa sa mga scientific methods of identifying but with our fingerprint and nagbigay ang NBI ng standard ng kanilang fingerprint wayback 2014 ‘yung computer-generated nila at nag-match ‘yun sa fingerprint na nakuha sa cadaver,” he said. </p><p>“‘Yun ay nagbigay ng kalinawan ang ating cadaver is the late Usec. Maria Catalina Cabral.” </p><p>Police said they have yet to secure and examine Cabral’s cellphone.</p>

<p>The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported Monday that former DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral was unlikely pushed to her death at a cliff along Kennon Road in Tuba town in Benguet, suggesting that the act was deliberate.</p>

The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported Monday that former DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral was unlikely pushed to her death at a cliff along Kennon Road in Tuba town in Benguet, suggesting that the act was deliberate.

PNP: Cabral may have slid down ravine, unlikely pushed

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PNP: Cabral may have slid down ravine, unlikely pushed

Karen De Guzman,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 29, 2025 11:48 AM PHT

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Updated Dec 29, 2025 01:19 PM PHT

Read More:

Cathy Cabral

PNP

suicide

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