DILG On Cabral: All Signs Point To Suicide

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Monday, Dec. 22, “all signs point to suicide” in the death of former public works undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.

Remulla said an extensive investigation, including a reconstruction of Cabral’s movements and a review of dashcam footage, showed no indication of foul play.

Cabral was found unresponsive in a ravine where she had fallen from Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet on Dec. 18.

“The autopsy and the crime scene investigation show no signs of struggle. All signs point to suicide,” Remulla told ANC in an interview.

He said Cabral arrived at the area where she later fell as early as 10 a.m. on Dec. 18 and was seen sitting on the ledge. After being told by police she could not park there, she returned to a hotel in Baguio City, where she ate lunch and stayed briefly before asking her driver to bring her back to the same spot at around 2 p.m.

According to Remulla, the driver, who was told by Cabral to leave, thought she would return to the hotel as she usually did during inspections.

When the driver came back minutes later, Cabral was no longer there. She was reported missing at around 5 p.m. Rescuers found her body 20 to 30 meters below the highway.

Remulla said autopsy results showed Cabral died of blunt force trauma consistent with a fall. He cited extensive injuries, including fractures to the face, head, ribs, hands and ankles, and noted the absence of gunshot wounds, ligature marks or stab wounds.

“There was no blood, no disarrangement inside the vehicle and no skin cells under her fingernails. There were no signs of a struggle,” he said.

He added that investigators also ruled out the possibility of an accidental slip, noting that Cabral fell head first.

“A slip would likely injure the legs first. In this case, the injuries indicate a deliberate fall,” Remulla said.

He also acknowledged public speculation surrounding Cabral’s death, fueled by initial lapses in police handling of the case.

He said these lapses prompted him to order an autopsy and further investigation, including applications for search warrants covering Cabral’s personal effects, gadgets and documents.

He also confirmed that police officials involved in the initial response, including the Tuba police chief and the Benguet provincial director, would be relieved for failing to follow standard crime scene procedures.

Cabral, a longtime DPWH official, had been linked to the ongoing probe into alleged anomalies in flood control projects.

Remulla stressed that her death does not end the investigation.

Authorities earlier confirmed Cabral’s identity through fingerprint comparison, with DNA results expected to be formally released.

A government forensic expert clarified that DNA evidence alone is inconclusive unless it is cross-matched with samples from immediate relatives, such as the victim’s children.

For his part, acting Philippine National Police chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said authorities must await the final results of the investigation before definitively concluding that the death of Cabral was a suicide.

Dashcam video

According to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Dec. 18 dashcam video showing Cabral sitting on a concrete barrier along the roadside matched their initial findings on the case.

NBI operatives said the video is consistent with their initial finding that Cabral and her driver stopped along Kennon Road while traveling to Baguio City.

NBI spokesman Palmer Mallari said the bureau has obtained copies of the dashcam footage, including a video taken by a passing motorist, but stressed that the material will still undergo technical examination to establish its conclusiveness.

“We have a copy of the dashcam and the video taken by a passerby appears to be (former undersecretary) Cabral, but to be conclusive, we will subject the footage to examination,” Mallari said over radio dzRH.

“As for the dashcam of (former undersecretary) Cabral’s vehicle, our position is that it also needs to be examined,” he added.

Mallari also confirmed that NBI agents searched the hotel room where Cabral reportedly stayed in Baguio City, finding several items.

“We recovered many items, mostly personal belongings, but since we are still in the process of returning the search warrant to the court, we would rather not disclose the items we obtained,” he said.

On the investigation into Cabral’s driver, Mallari said Ricardio Hernandez has already executed a sworn statement, but “it still needs to be verified against other pieces of evidence.”

Hotel denies ties to Cabral, Yap

Meanwhile, Ion Hotel, where Cabral allegedly checked in, has denied reports linking it to public officials and government flood control projects.

In a statement issued through its legal counsel Enrique dela Cruz Jr., the hotel said articles published by Bilyonaryo News Channel “falsely linked it to the late DPWH undersecretary Catalina Cabral and Benguet Lone District Representative Eric Yap.”

The hotel clarified that neither Cabral nor Yap has ever been an owner, shareholder or officer of Ion Hotel, and that they have no involvement in the hotel’s management or operations.

Ion Hotel also said it is not involved in any flood control projects and is not connected to the construction industry.

It added that spreading such claims is insensitive, especially following the recent passing of Cabral. – With Artemio Dumlao, Rainier Allan Ronda