Marilyn Cahatol

Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Catalina Cabral attends a probe into flood control programs nationwide, called by the House of Representatives Infrastructure Committee (InfraComm) in Quezon City on September 9, 2025. The InfraComm is a joint body comprising the Committees on Public Accounts, Public Works and Highways, and Good Government and Public Accountability, chaired by Representatives Terry Ridon, Romeo S. Momo Sr., and Joel Chua.

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FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT

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/176733442467220251219-dpwh-usec-catalina-cabral-HoR (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Catalina Cabral attends a probe into flood control programs nationwide, called by the House of Representatives Infrastructure Committee (InfraComm) in Quezon City on September 9, 2025. The InfraComm is a joint body comprising the Committees on Public Accounts, Public Works and Highways, and Good Government and Public Accountability, chaired by Representatives Terry Ridon, Romeo S. Momo Sr., and Joel Chua. </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The <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>of former Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral sparked numerous questions, from the truth behind her death to how the flood control investigation will proceed without her as a vital witness. </p><p><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">Cabral</a>, who allegedly led the distribution of “allocables” — funding included in the National Expenditure Program for allocation by project proponents — to lawmakers and public officials, is said to have possessed a list of insertions and their proponents over the previous years.</p><p>Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste claims to have an unaltered copy, the supposed &quot;Cabral Files&quot;. Malacañang prefers to refer to them as the &quot;Leviste Files&quot; and has cast doubt on their authenticity and their value as evidence.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/27/lacson-cabral-files-tagged-5-cabinet-secretaries-with-billions-in-allocables-in-2025-budget-1832">Lacson: &#x27;Cabral files&#x27; tagged 5 Cabinet secretaries with billions in &#x27;allocables&#x27; in 2025 budget</a></div><p>The death of the only person who can verify the authenticity of the files presents a further challenge to finding the truth behind the flood control scandal that drowned lawmakers and public officials with billions of pesos, and Filipinos in floodwaters.</p><p>Atty. Dino De Leon, a political analyst, said the Philippines would not be facing this roadblock had there been an effective and time-bound witness protection program that could have secured Cabral’s testimony even before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/28/-mahiya-naman-kayo-marcos-order-probe-on-corruption-in-flood-control-projects-1725">announced an investigation into flood control projects in </a>July this year.</p><p>He said that may even have kept Cabral alive.</p><p>“It definitely shows the weakness of our legal system in protecting witnesses and taking care of their welfare and ensuring that we are able to secure their testimony in the swiftest time possible,” De Leon told ABS-CBN News.</p><div> </div><div><strong>TIME-BOUND TESTIMONY</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>De Leon noted that the Witness Protection Program (WPP) and the perpetuation —  filing in court for preservation — of a witness’ testimony should be time-bound, even before a case is filed against individuals allegedly involved. </p><p>In Cabral’s case, he said the government could have offered to put her in the WPP as early as January 2025, when the national budget was caught in a web of controversies.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/17/zaldy-co-should-be-brought-back-to-ph-forcibly-if-necessary-puno-0946">Puno blames Zaldy Co, Chiz Escudero for 2025 budget controversy</a></div><p>A time-bound perpetuation of testimony, De Leon said, would not only lessen the chance of a witness being swayed against testifying but would also help secure them.</p><p>&quot;The biggest protection of the witnesses... is making it as standard operating procedure, and maybe part of every investigative process, to perpetuate their testimony,&quot; he said.</p><p>Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson had previously <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3zR4U2fDpk">noted</a> that Cabral had shown interest in participating in the investigation.</p><p>De Leon said securing witness testimony early could mean quicker prosecution and would let them return to their regular lives sooner.</p><p>“Hindi pwedeng yung witness, nasa limbo yung buhay niya for the time being, while the investigators are taking their time. Paano ngayon yung buhay ng witness? For the time being nasa safe house siya?” he raised. </p><p>(A witness’ life should not be in limbo for the time being, while the investigators are taking their time. How about their life? For the time being, will they just stay in the safe house?)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>STATE WITNESSES AND PROTECTED WITNESSES</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>At present, Republic Act No. 6981, the Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act, is the sole mechanism that protects witnesses and accused from possible threats to their lives. </p><div><br/></div><div><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/gLFuEq2hnYI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>In an interview in September, then-Department of Justice (DOJ) Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLFuEq2hnYI&amp;pp=ygUsYWJzIGNibiBuZXdzIHN0YXRlIHdpdG5lc3MgcHJvdGVjdGVkIGNsYXZhbm_SBwkJTQoBhyohjO8%3D">explained </a>a state witness is different from a protected witness. Both are protected by the state, but only the former receives immunity from criminal prosecution. </p><p>Restitution is among the conditions required of all protected witnesses. Several accused have already returned money and items to authorities as part of that. </p><p>Former Department of Public Works and Highways engineer Henry Alcantara had turned over an additional <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/19/alcantara-turns-over-additional-p71-million-1522">P71 million</a> in cash, which is a portion of the P300 million required for restitution. This made him officially qualified as a state witness. </p><p>Contractor Sally Santos also <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/22/doj-syms-contractor-sally-santos-returns-p15-million-to-gov-t-1347">returned </a>P15 million on December 22. </p><p>The WPP has its specialized officers, resources, and expertise in securing protected witnesses, but it also has flaws that may disrupt the pursuit of accountability. </p><p>De Leon noted that, aside from physical security and sustenance, the WPP should also ensure witnesses and their families are economically, socially and mentally protected from threats that come with testifying against powerful individuals.</p><p>He said that aside from physical protection, an effective WPP requires specialists like psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, social workers, and those with expertise in safe house management and securing families, to ensure they live a normal life afterward. </p><p>“So what I think is important to take note of is the fact that the overall welfare of the witness involves not just sustenance, not just security, but more importantly, securing these witnesses in a time-sensitive manner,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;CONFLICT OF INTEREST&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p><strong></strong>There is no public information if Cabral applied for inclusion in the WPP but De Leon said she might not even have wanted to.</p><p>“Baka naman she does not trust the executive na hindi siya ilalaglag,” he said. </p><p>(Maybe she does not trust the executive that it would not abandon her.)</p><p>He noted that the WPP is often granted to individuals who testify against powerful entities, who are either sitting in top government posts or are backed by them.  </p><p>So far, President Ferdinand <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/14/zaldy-co-breaks-silence-on-flood-control-mess-1214">Marcos Jr., former House Speaker Martin Romualdez</a>, former Senate President <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/25/ex-dpwh-exec-roberto-bernardo-admits-wrongdoing-in-flood-control-fiasco-0916">Francis Escudero</a> have been tagged in the flood control scandal and other corruption issues. Ilocos Norte Rep. <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/25/zaldy-co-tags-sandro-marcos-in-insertions-mess-1211">Sandro Marcos</a> has also been implicated.</p><p>All have denied involvement and none have been formally accused in court.</p><p>The WPP is under the DOJ, which De Leon said may pose a conflict of interest.</p><p>“I think it&#x27;s high time for the Philippines to also consider that the Witness Protection Program should not be handled by the executive because in a lot of instances, ang mga kaso ng mga witnesses (the cases of the witnesses) are against a powerful executive,” he said. </p><div> </div><div><strong>&#x27;NO OTHER MECHANISM &#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Although the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) was created to investigate systemic corruption in flood control and infrastructure projects, it has no resources and is not mandated to protect witnesses and resource persons.</p><p>It has remained a recommendatory panel and submits its findings to the Office of the Ombudsman. There is also doubt on whether it will continue as a body the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/26/ici-commissioner-rossana-fajardo-resigns-0831">loss of two of its three members</a>.</p><p>Several lawmakers have sought the institutionalization of an independent people’s commission with a similar mandate, but legislation for that remains pending in the Senate and the House of Representatives. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/26/lawmakers-say-ici-now-a-lost-cause-after-another-commissioner-s-resignation-1018">Lawmakers say ICI now &#x27;a lost cause&#x27; after another commissioner&#x27;s resignation</a></div><p>The Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation can help secure witnesses but also already have full plates.</p><p>De Leon suggested a “Marshals” agency similar to the US Marshals Service, an agency of the US Department of Justice that has among its tasks protecting witnesses, accused, judges, evidence and the general legal proceedings. </p><p>But, he said, the Philippine version would have to be “independent... not under the executive.&quot; </p><p>He added: &quot;I think kung under ng Supreme Court yan, administratively, [would be] fine kasi nga dapat tasked sila in defending judicial proceedings and its integrity.” </p><p>(So it’s independent. It’s not under the executive. I think if it’s under the Supreme Court, administratively, [would be] fine because they are supposedly tasked with defending judicial proceedings and its integrity.)</p><p>Created by law in 2022, the Office of the Judiciary Marshals is &quot;primarily responsible for the security, safety and protection of the members, officials, personnel and property of the judiciary, including the integrity of the courts and its proceedings.&quot;</p><p>De Leon stressed that &quot;the greatest&quot; step would still be &quot;making it as a standard operating procedure, to perpetuate the testimonies of witnesses early on even if wala pang kaso (if no case has been filed yet).&quot;</p><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/XFv5XNdBwjc?si=sUpv18ZCPObvXCxH" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Atty. Dino De Leon, a political analyst, believes an effective and time-bound Witness Protection Program could have secured former Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral's testimony even before the flood control investigation was announced.</p>

Atty. Dino De Leon, a political analyst, believes an effective and time-bound Witness Protection Program could have secured former Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral's testimony even before the flood control investigation was announced.

Cabral’s death shows need to better secure witnesses, testimonies — lawyer

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Cabral’s death shows need to better secure witnesses, testimonies — lawyer

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 03, 2026 10:30 AM PHT

Read More:

Ma. Catalina Cabral

DPWH

flood control

Witness Protection Program

corruption

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