The remains of Maria Catalina Cabral, a former undersecretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), arrived in Metro Manila before dawn on Sunday, following their transfer from Benguet.
According to reports, Cabral’s body reached Manila at around 3:21 a.m. after departing Benguet late Saturday night. Authorities earlier confirmed that the remains recovered in Tuba, Benguet belonged to Cabral, with Jonvic Remulla, Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), stating that DNA and fingerprint examinations matched her identity.
Remulla also disclosed that the autopsy results showed no indication of foul play. He said medical findings found no signs of strangulation, gunshot wounds, or stab injuries, concluding that Cabral died from blunt force trauma consistent with a fall.
Cabral, a veteran civil engineer who previously handled planning and public-private partnerships at the DPWH, was found unresponsive on December 18 near Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, around 20 to 30 meters below the highway beside the Bued River. She was pronounced dead the following day. Her death has attracted public attention as she had been linked to ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities in flood control projects, including a case that the Department of Justice was preparing to refer to the Office of the Ombudsman prior to her passing.
