Malacañang on Friday expressed condolences to the family of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Catalina Cabral, who died Thursday night after allegedly falling from a cliff in Benguet.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Palace is saddened by this loss and extended sympathies to her family.
“Nakikiramay po tayo sa pamilya na naiwan po ni former Usec. Catalina Cabral. Nakakalungkot po ang nangyari (Our sincere condolences to the bereaved family of former Usec. Catalina Cabral. What happened was heartbreaking),” Castro said during a Palace briefing.
Cabral had been identified as one of the key figures linked to the ongoing broader inquiry into the anomalous “ghost” flood control projects.
Asked whether Malacañang would issue any directive on investigations or inquiries involving projects linked to Cabral, Castro said the matter is now with investigators and emphasized that the former DPWH Usec. was not facing any formal case at the time of her death.
“As of now, Usec. Cabral is not facing any case,” she said, clarifying that while inquiries may be ongoing, no charges had been filed against the former DPWH executive.
Castro noted that the conduct and direction of any investigations rest with the appropriate authorities, underscoring that Malacañang will not interfere in the process.
“We are temporarily respecting the private life and family of Usec Cabral. At the moment, there are no orders from the President (to investigate her death) and again, there is no case,” she added.
The DPWH expressed the same sentiments in an earlier statement. It sent condolences to her family and appealed to the public to respect their privacy.
“Undersecretary Cabral served the Department for more than 40 years, and her loss will be mourned throughout the organization,” the DPWH said.
“We recognize the profound loss the family is facing and offer our sincerest prayers. The Department urges everyone to respect the family’s need for privacy as they mourn and come to terms with the sudden loss,” it added. “We thank you for your compassion and understanding.”
Police said Cabral was found “unconscious and unresponsive” about 20 to 30 meters below a highway along Kennon Road on Thursday evening, several hours after she reportedly asked her driver to drop her off in the area.
Tuba Municipal Police Station chief Police Major Peter Camsol said a municipal doctor pronounced Cabral dead at the scene beside the Bued River at 12:03 a.m. on Friday.
According to police, Cabral and her driver were traveling along Kennon Road toward La Union at around 3:00 p.m. Thursday when she requested to stop at Maramal, Camp 5, Camp 4, and asked to be left there. The driver returned to the area around 5:00 p.m. but could not find her. After further unsuccessful attempts, he sought police assistance at about 7:00 p.m.
Responding officers later found Cabral at the side of the Bued River. Authorities said an investigation is ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding her death.
Cabral was a veteran bureaucrat and had been described as a “model” for “Women in Infrastructure.”
She resigned from the DPWH in September amid congressional investigations into alleged anomalies in flood control projects and purported kickbacks involving lawmakers and government officials.
