Rescue teams recover the body of former DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral from the Bued River in Tuba, Benguet. Photo courtesy of Benguet Police.
A three-dimensional scan of the Benguet ravine where former Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina “Cathy” Cabral was found dead indicates she likely slid down rather than being pushed, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.
PNP Forensic Group officer-in-charge Col. Pierre Paul Carpio said the scan showed Cabral fell to a spot only 0.2 meters from the base of the ravine, 16.9 meters below where she was last seen.
“Kung tinulak ito, chances are lalayo pa siya doon. Makikita na ang kamay niya, may gasgas. Yung likod niya, may gasgas. Ang laki ng probabilidad na nagpadausdos siya,” Carpio explained.
Cabral was discovered at the bottom of the ravine along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet on the evening of December 18.
Her driver, Ricardo Hernandez, said she asked him to leave her temporarily, and he could not locate her after returning from a nearby fueling station.
Cabral had been linked to alleged irregularities in flood control and infrastructure projects, though she denied involvement in kickbacks.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla noted that Cabral had removed her shoes before the fall, describing it as a “psychological pattern of a jump suicide.”
An initial toxicology report by the Cordillera police’s forensic unit found traces of an antidepressant in Cabral’s system.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death while noting evidence suggests she slid down the ravine rather than being pushed.