Jamaine Punzalan

Former Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Catalina Cabral attends a Senate hearing into anomalous flood control projects on September 1, 2025.  Courtesy of the Senate of the Philippines Social Media Unit/File

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PH SENATE

Karen De Guzman

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/176646274146820250901-senate-blue-ribbon-usec-catalina-cabral-SSMU (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Catalina Cabral attends a Senate hearing into anomalous flood control projects on September 1, 2025.  Courtesy of the Senate of the Philippines Social Media Unit/File</span></span></span></div><div><em><strong>TRIGGER WARNING: </strong>This story contains references to suicide.<strong></strong></em></div><p>MANILA — Authorities said Tuesda former DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral was found near a questionable infrastructure government project along Kennon Road.</p><p>In a press briefing, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the area was close to the rock-netting project in Benguet under scrutiny. </p><p>“It is usual in the psychological makeup of suicide attempts that they go where they are most tormented. In this case…I think we see a pattern of torment for her because of the rock-netting cases in Benguet, which I think, down the road will implicate her and the congressman and the contractors who implemented the project,” Remulla said.</p><p>“Hindi siya ghost [project]—severely overpriced kasi rock netting is only P325 per square meter, and they sold it to the government for P1,400 per square meter,” he added. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/22/dilg-on-cathy-cabral-s-death-all-signs-point-to-suicide-0937">DILG on Cathy Cabral&#x27;s death: &#x27;All signs point to suicide&#x27;</a></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-4" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:480px;height:270px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-4&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2003305435609317386&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-12-23T02%3A01%3A09.670373%3Abde03f59-9a9e-4886-b43e-06388ce29686%26action%3Dcorrect&amp;sessionId=faf1a7f932906ec5e7ac4d51a57ebb874d0a876e&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2003305435609317386"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>He dismissed reports that Cabral met with anyone during her stay in Baguio, saying CCTV footage showed her going straight to her hotel room. </p><p>“So far, wala kaming nakitang may kinusap sa iba,” he said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/23/dpwh-surrenders-computer-files-of-cathy-cabral-to-ombudsman-1304">DPWH surrenders computer, files of Cathy Cabral to Ombudsman</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>KNIFE, MEDICINES RECOVERED</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed that investigators recovered a knife and several medicines from Cabral’s hotel room. </p><p>Acting PNP chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) applied for a search warrant to secure items left in the room.</p><p>“If you&#x27;re talking about the knife or the items that were recovered, ‘yung knife for self-protection or panggamit niya lang inside the bag. While the medications, we secure that, we put that into study,” Nartatez said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/19/who-was-catalina-cabral-and-how-could-her-death-affect-flood-control-probe-1455">Who was Cathy Cabral, and how could her death affect flood control probe?</a></div><div><br/></div><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div>

<p>The area where former Public Works Undersecretary Catalina Cabral was found dead after an alleged fall from a cliff along Kennon Road in Benguet province was near a questionable project site, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Tuesday.</p>

The area where former Public Works Undersecretary Catalina Cabral was found dead after an alleged fall from a cliff along Kennon Road in Benguet province was near a questionable project site, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Tuesday.

DILG: Cabral found near questionable rock-netting project; knife, medicines recovered in hotel room

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DILG: Cabral found near questionable rock-netting project; knife, medicines recovered in hotel room

Karen De Guzman,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 23, 2025 12:09 PM PHT

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Updated Dec 23, 2025 03:53 PM PHT

Read More:

Cathy Cabral

DPWH

corruption

flood control

baha

budget insertions

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