Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the DILG and the Philippine National Police have now completely ruled out foul play in the death of former Public Works undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, but the National Bureau of Investigation said her driver may still be asked to undergo a lie detector test if necessary.
“Yes (foul play has been ruled out),” Remulla said in a press briefing yesterday.
But for NBI spokesman Palmer Mallari, Cabral’s driver Ricardo Hernandez may still be made to undergo a lie detector test if investigators find it necessary to check his statement on the moments leading up to the former DPWH official’s death.
“In the event that the investigators are not yet convinced on the statements being offered by a witness, it is possible to have a request for a polygraph examination,” Mallari said.
“But if the investigators are convinced based on all the pieces of evidence they have and these match the statements offered by a particular witness, then there might be no need for a polygraph examination. It’s actually a hypothetical statement,” he added.
Remulla noted that Cabral even removed her shoes prior to her fall, which he said was usual in cases of suicide attempts.
“It is usual in jump cases (in) suicide attempts that they take off their shoes,” Remulla said. “It was apparent at that moment that, I think, her shoes were separated from the body, so it shows the psychological patterns of a jump suicide.”
Remulla said that while Cabral’s driver remains a person of interest, he appeared “clear and clean of everything.”
“It was ruled out that there was a third party in the incident outside of the driver and Usec. Cabral,” he said.
Cabral’s body along the Bued River, which is estimated to be 20 to 30 meters below the highway, on Dec. 18.
Police confirmed yesterday a knife and some medications were recovered in the hotel room Cabral stayed in.
“The knife is for self-protection while the medication we secured, we put that into study that’s why during the conduct of autopsy we also took tissues so that we can study if these medications were used,” said PNP acting chief Jose Nartatez Jr.
