THE body believed to be of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Catalina Cabral will undergo DNA and autopsy testing to confirm its identity, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Friday, December 19, 2025.
“We are now going to mandate an autopsy and a DNA test para sigurado talaga kung ang manner of death kung may foul play or wala but from initial reports, walang foul play,” Remulla said in a press conference in Camp Crame.
(We will now mandate an autopsy and a DNA test to be absolutely certain about the manner of death -- whether there was foul play or not -- but based on initial reports, there is no foul play.)
“However, the family positively identified her already but we cannot rely on that alone kasi again baka may budol play dito eh. Maninigurado pa tayo. Baka budol play eh, di ba. Baka ibang katawan ginamit. Sabi ng pamilya sila na yun, pero baka tumakas sa ibang lugar, hindi ba. Marami kasing nagfi-fake ng death certificate eh, so naninigurado lang kami na siya talaga yun,” he added.
(However, the family has already positively identified her, but we cannot rely on that alone because there could be foul play involved. We need to be certain. There could be deception involved -- perhaps a different body was used. The family says it was her, but she might have escaped to another place. Many people falsify death certificates, so we are just making sure that it is really her.)
Remulla said Cabral could be under severe stress due to her links to the anomalous flood control projects.
He tagged Cabral as one of the two “principal architects” in the “flood control scam” along with retired DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.
“As undersecretary for planning, siya ang nagsasabi kung ano ang kailangan gawin. Siya ang ang nag-aapprove, so siya ang naglagay kung saan puwede maglagay ng pera. Siya ang nagsasabi kung ano ang approved projects. So kasama siya ni Usec. Bernardo sa lahat ng nag aapprove niyan,” he said.
(As undersecretary for planning, he is the one who determines what needs to be done. He gives the approvals and decides where funds can be allocated. He identifies which projects are approved, so he is involved together with Usec. Bernardo in all of those approvals.)
“What we are doing is that no matter what you do, the law will go after you. So in life or in death, the wheels of justice will turn. So kahit anong gawin nila, tumakas sila, hahabulin pa rin sila. Tuloy ang pagbawi ng assets if proven guilty. Again, may due process tayong tititingnan so iimbestigahan pa rin yun and now that she is not around to defend herself, maybe her family will defend her assets,” he added.
Investigation is ongoing on the death of Cabral, who was reported to have fallen from a cliff along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet on Thursday, December 18, 2025.
The incident was reported by her driver, who told the police that Cabral asked him to leave her for a while alongside a portion of the Kennon Ride while they were traveling from Baguio City to La Union.
Cabral was a licensed civil engineer with an extensive academic background, including two doctorate degrees in Business Management and Public Administration and in Urban and Regional Planning.
She made history as the first female rank-and-file employee to be promoted to undersecretary at the DPWH, and the first female president of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (Pice). She later led the Road Engineering Association of the Philippines.
Cabral resigned from the agency in September 2025 following her implication into alleged irregularities in the flood control projects linked to budget insertions and possible kickbacks.
She was among the former DPWH officials who were recommended to be charged with graft and malversation in relation to the flood control mess. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)