Maria Catalina “Cathy” E. Cabral, born May 23, 1962, served the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 40 years. A licensed engineer, she was highly-educated and multi-awarded. She had three master’s and two doctorate degrees. Her list of professional achievements is long and luminous.
She made history twice: as the first female rank and file employee to reach the level of undersecretary at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and as the first female President of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (2017-2018).
As Undersecretary for Planning and Public-Private Partnership (PPP), she oversaw the DPWH’s infrastructure planning and programming as well as the implementation of PPP projects.
On Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, her lifeless body was found at the bottom of a 40-meter-deep ravine along Kennon Road, Camp 4 in Tuba, Benguet.
According to her driver, Cardo Hernandez, he drove her to Baguio on Thursday, Dec. 18, to unwind. Passing by a spot along Kennon Road at Camp 4 in the morning, Cabral asked to stop so she could sit by the side of the road along the ravine, to unwind.
Flagged by traffic cops as it was a no-stopping/parking zone, they drove off to Baguio to check into their hotel and get lunch. In the afternoon, Cabral asked to be taken back to the same spot along Kennon Road. This time, she asked to be dropped off and for the driver to come back for her.
After an hour or so, the driver went back for Cabral but she was nowhere to be found. He drove back to the hotel to check if she had returned. Not finding her there, he went to the police for help as it was getting dark. The police spotted the body at the bottom of the ravine.
Cabral’s death is suspicious for good reason. Aside from the fact that Cabral was a central figure in the multi-billion flood control corruption scandals unearthed this year, the circumstances of her death are highly unusual.
Why did Cabral choose to stop by the side of the road, along a ravine, to relax and unwind? In a TV interview six years ago, Cabral said she had a fear of heights. And yet, she made it a point to be driven back to that spot in the afternoon to allegedly enjoy the breeze.
When the driver went to pick her up but couldn’t find her, why did he look down the ravine? When asked if he suspected Cabral had jumped, he said he thought she might have accidentally fallen. Seriously?
I mean, people can accidentally fall into ravines. But it’s not the first thing that comes to mind when we can’t find someone even if we left them sitting by one. The driver claims Cabral was in high spirits. So, why did he contact the police when he couldn’t find her? Wouldn’t it have made sense to call her family first?
A news outlet alleges Cabral had already tried to take her own life after her name was implicated in the flood-control scandal. This was reportedly why her two daughters were staying with her so they could keep a close watch. So, why did they let her go to Baguio alone, given her state of mind?
Why did it take five hours to retrieve the body? Local responders are well-trained in ravine retrieval. There was no rain. It was not a remote area. But the ravines in Tuba, Benguet, are notorious dumping grounds for salvaged victims. Bodies have littered these ravines in the past.
What really happened to Cabral? Did she fall? Did she jump? Was she pushed? Or did she walk away from it all? Her husband, Cesar Cabral, insists she fell off the ravine by accident. He resists an autopsy and a DNA test to confirm the identity of the body.
Any family would do everything to get to the bottom of the truth. Unless they already know the truth.