Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Cabral

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176611672562520250902-congress-flood-control-probe-cabral-MT9_cropped_processed_by_imagy.png" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former Public Works Undersecretary for Planning, Public-Private Partnership Catalina Cabral attends the House Committee on Public Accounts, Public Works, and Good Government inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of various government flood control projects at the House of Representatives on September 2, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p>MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is set to investigate the sudden death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Catalina Cabral, following the orders of acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/18/former-dpwh-usec-cabral-found-unconscious-after-falling-from-benguet-cliff-police-say-2355">Former DPWH Usec Cabral dies after alleged fall from Benguet cliff</a></div><p>Cabral died after allegedly falling from a cliff along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, according to police Thursday night.</p><p>In a statement Friday, Nartatez said he already tasked the Regional Director, Police Regional Office Cordillera Administrative Region, &quot;to ensure that all angles are looked into in order to come up with a clear picture of what really happened.&quot;</p><p>“I have already ordered a thorough investigation into this incident for us to have a clear picture of what happened. While there was already an initial impression regarding what happened, we should not rule out any factor until our forensic investigators are able to establish the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it,”  Nartatez said.</p><p>A report from the Benguet Provincial Police Office said the incident was reported by Cabral’s driver.</p><p>According to the driver, he and Cabral were travelling along Kennon Road towards La Union at around 3 p.m. when Cabral asked her driver to stop at Kennon Road and be left there.</p><p>The driver then went to a nearby gasoline station. The driver then returned to the area at around 5 p.m. but failed to see Cabral. </p><p>He then went back to the hotel where Cabral was staying, but she was also not there.</p><p>He reported the incident to the police at around 7 p.m., and at around 8 p.m., Cabral&#x27;s body was found at the side of Bued River, at least 20 meters below the highway.</p><p>Cabral was implicated in alleged budget insertions and kickbacks from multibillion-peso flood control projects.</p><p>&quot;We appeal to the public, especially the netizens, to refrain from speculating and wait instead for the official result of the investigation,&quot; said Nartatez.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fm10Lrfu7jw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The PNP appealed to the public to refrain from speculating and wait instead for the official result of their investigation.</p>

The PNP appealed to the public to refrain from speculating and wait instead for the official result of their investigation.

PNP to probe ex-Usec. Cabral's death: 'We should not rule out any factor'

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PNP to probe ex-Usec. Cabral's death: 'We should not rule out any factor'

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 19, 2025 12:02 PM PHT

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Cabral

DPWH

flood control

PNP

Catalina Cabral

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