Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral . ARCHIVE

Former Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral has been declared dead after she was found unconscious near the Bued River along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, authorities confirmed. Police said Cabral was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on December 19 (Philippine time), several hours after she was reported missing. According to the Benguet Police Provincial Office (PPO), Cabral was discovered at around 8pm on Thursday (December 18), approximately 20 to 30 meters below Kennon Road in the Camp 4 area of Tuba town. She was found near the riverbank, unconscious and unresponsive. Initial police findings showed that Cabral had been travelling earlier that afternoon with her driver when she allegedly asked him to stop along Kennon Road and requested to be left there. When the driver later returned to fetch her and could not find her, he immediately sought police assistance. Personnel from the Baguio City Police Office and the Tuba Municipal Police Station launched a search operation, which led to Cabral’s discovery. She was retrieved with the help of the Tuba Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the Bureau of Fire Protection. Authorities said the incident is being treated as an alleged fall. The Benguet Provincial Forensic Unit has been notified to conduct a scene-of-the-crime investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding her death. Police stressed that, at this stage, there is no indication of foul play. “No foul play has been established as of now, and the investigation is ongoing,” authorities said. Cabral resigned from the DPWH in September after being implicated in allegations involving anomalous budget insertions linked to flood control projects. Another DPWH undersecretary had previously claimed that Cabral, along with former DPWH secretaries Mark Villar and Manuel Bonoan, was part of an alleged kickback system tied to contracts awarded or implemented by the department. In recent weeks, government investigators and law enforcement agencies have intensified their probe into alleged irregularities involving flood control projects, including claims of overpriced, substandard or ghost projects worth billions of pesos. Reports indicate that the total amount involved could reach more than ₱1 trillion over the past 15 years, spanning multiple administrations. Authorities said further updates will be released as the investigation progresses. CAM/Expat Media
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