Cathy Cabral's initial autopsy report released
The autopsy report revealed that former DPWH Usec. Maria Catalina Cabral has died of "blunt traumatic injury consistent with a fall," the police said.
The Philippine National Police conducted the autopsy on Saturday, Dec. 20, after her family gave their consent to the procedure. The medical examination was carried out at around 3 a.m., with her husband, Cesar Cabral, in attendance, according to reports. Cesar declined a request for an autopsy the day before, citing his belief that his wife's death was accidental.
This was confirmed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
"The initial reports show that, with all certainty, she died of blunt force trauma," he told the media, noting Cabral's several injuries, including a broken face and feet.
"Wala kami nakitang signs of struggle sa kotse," he added. "So far, no signs of foul play."
Meanwhile, the Cordillera police confirmed that the body that was retrieved along Kennon Road belonged to Cabral, though no DNA testing has been conducted.
Cabral died after she allegedly fell from a ravine along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, on Thursday evening, Dec. 18.
According to Benguet Police, Cabral and her driver, Ricardo Hernandez, were on their way to La Union at around 3 p.m. when they made a stopover along Kennon Road, where Cabral requested to be left alone.
Hernandez said he went to a nearby gasoline station before returning to the area at around 5 p.m., but Cabral was nowhere in sight.
He searched the area before going to Cabral's hotel in Baguio City, but did not find her there. He then reported the incident to the police at around 7 p.m., where they later found Cabral's lifeless body below the highway along a riverbank.
On Dec. 19, his husband
Cabral is one of the former DPWH officials accused of facilitating budget insertions through the National Expenditure Program by way of substandard and ghost projects and is facing administrative charges.
Former DPWH Usec. Roberto Bernardo alleged that Cabral is involved in kickbacks that benefited several public officials.
The Department of Justice also said that Cabral was among those named in the plunder case scheduled to be forwarded to the Office of the Ombudsman, related to irregularities in flood control projects in Bulacan.
The Independent Commission for Infrastructure invited her on Dec. 15, but she didn't show up at the hearings.
