House minority solons: Probe Cabral’s death; secure evidence

MANILA, Philippines — House minority lawmakers on Friday called on authorities to investigate the sudden death of former Public Works Undersecretary Catalina Cabral, a key figure in the flood control scandal, who was found dead Thursday night after an alleged fall in Kennon Road in Baguio City.

In separate statements, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima and the Makabayan bloc composed of ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago and Kabataan Rep. Renee Co also called on authorities to secure pertinent evidence such as her personal effects and documents that could help aid the ongoing investigation into anomalous infrastructure projects.

READ: Ex-DPWH exec declared dead after being found by the river in Kennon Road

Specifically, de Lima warned against using Cabral’s death as an excuse for the ongoing probe to run into a dead end and for “everything to be pinned on Cabral as the mastermind.”  

“Amid the ongoing investigations into the massive corruption in which she has been implicated, her death invites great suspicion. The death of Cabral can benefit a lot of people,” de Lima said. 

“The mastermind or masterminds and syndicates are also moving quickly to get away with the robbery, so those responsible should waste no time in finding and protecting evidence and holding everyone involved accountable.”

Echoed the Makabayan bloc: “The death of Undersecretary Cabral cannot be separated from the ongoing flood control probe as she is a key figure in the operations of the DPWH. The circumstances of her death must be investigated and all evidence that may be in her possession, including electronic and documentary evidence, should be preserved.”

READ: Eyes on DPWH ‘allocable’ funds as bicam talks start on budget

Cabral, said to have been the architect of the so-called “allocables” formula that allowed lawmakers to insert anomalous projects in the national budget, was declared dead after she was found “unconscious and unresponsive” along Bued River at Kennon Road on Thursday night after hours of search by her driver, the Cordillera police office said.

She was declared dead by physician Gian Frances Salinas at 12:02 a.m. Friday, after her body was brought up from the river by first responders around midnight.

Ricardio Munos Hernandez, Cabral’s chauffeur, informed the police that he was driving his employer down Kennon Road on route from Baguio to La Union province when she decided to disembark and asked to be left alone at Purok Maramal, Sitio Camp 5 in Barangay Camp 4 at 3 p.m. /das