DPWH mourns Cabral's death as ICI calls urgent probe on possible foul play

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) extended its deepest condolences to the family of former Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, a central figure in the flood control corruption scandal, who was found dead after an alleged fall in Benguet.

In a statement on Friday, December 19, the agency honored Cabral for her 40 years of service at the DPWH. According to her profile, she was the first female rank-and-file employee to rise to the rank of undersecretary in the male-dominated DPWH. 

"We recognize the profound loss the family is facing and offer our sincerest prayers," the statement read. "The Department urges everyone to respect the family's need for privacy as they mourn and come to terms with the sudden loss." 

While the DPWH said it would give the family time to grieve, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) urged law enforcement agencies to immediately conduct a "prompt and thorough investigation" into Cabral’s death to rule out foul play, especially as she allegedly held crucial information on the anomalous flood control projects.

"Should authorities determine one, it is possible that those responsible may also be connected to the anomalous infrastructure projects," it added.

The independent body also said authorities should ensure the preservation of all documents, gadgets, and computers in her possession that could be used in the ongoing investigation.

The Benguet Police Provincial Office reported late Thursday night that Cabral was found unconscious and unresponsive along the Bued River, about 20 to 30 meters below Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, and was declared dead after midnight on Friday.

RELATED: Ex-DPWH Usec. Catalina Cabral found dead in Benguet

Who was Cabral? 

Cabral first made headlines when congressional investigations into flood control projects began in September, just a month after the president and DPWH conducted a string of on-site inspections into ghost projects across the country.

Scrutiny over her alleged role intensified after Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson claimed that she was the DPWH official who reached out to Sen. Vicente "Tito" Sotto III to ask whether he wanted any insertions made in the 2026 National Expenditure Program. Sotto later confirmed this to be true.

About a week later, Cabral tendered her resignation, which was accepted by Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon.

Before resigning, she headed the agency’s Planning and Public-Private Partnership division, which oversees infrastructure planning and programming by initiating and preparing project proposals, including priority projects under the DPWH infrastructure program, and consolidating the agency’s budgetary requirements.

She denied allegations that she facilitated kickback schemes involving ghost projects, saying she had no role in project execution and was confined to planning work. The DPWH, however, has already included her among the officials recommended for possible administrative charges involving a P95-million flood control project in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Although Cabral denied involvement in the kickback scheme, she confirmed in a House probe that Rep. Paolo "Pulong" Duterte’s district received P51 billion in flood control projects from 2020 to 2022, with her office overseeing the line items despite strict COVID-19 lockdowns. 

Another former DPWH undersecretary, Roberto Bernardo, also testified before the ongoing probes and implicated Cabral. He said she knew the computation for the so-called "allocables" of public officials in infrastructure projects to be inserted in the NEP from 2023 to 2025.

Bernardo also claimed that she set aside portions for herself and for former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan for preferred projects. These "allocables" have drawn criticism as a new form of "pork" among government officials.

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism found that during President Bongbong Marcos’ first term, the districts of his son, Rep. Sandro Marcos, and his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, received the highest allocables, averaging P4 to P5 billion annually.

The ICI issued a subpoena for Cabral last week in hopes of verifying such information before the Christmas break. However, she did not confirm her attendance, making her last appearance before the body on September 24.

Cabral's 40 years of service were built on an extensive educational background. She became a licensed civil engineer and earned two doctorate degrees in Business Management and Public Administration. She was also a Ph.D. candidate in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of the Philippines.

An award-winning professional, Cabral furthered her studies at Wharton, Harvard Kennedy School, and Mohamed Bin Zayed University, earning master’s degrees and certificates in fields such as data analytics, data transformation and AI, according to her DPWH profile.

Cabral’s sudden death has sparked serious concern among public officials over whether more factors were actually at play.

"Who will benefit most from her death? Will the truth die with her? Will she be the 'fall guy' in this grand corruption scandal?" Rep. Perci Cendaña said in a statement. 

The Office of the Ombudsman has already directed Benguet authorities to retrieve Cabral’s cellphone and other gadgets, which will be turned over to investigators at a proper time, Ombudsman spokesperson Mico Clavano said.