The mystery surrounding the death of former Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretary Catalina Cabral is beginning to clear — but the heartbreak remains.
On Saturday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed what many feared.
The woman found lifeless in Tuba, Benguet was indeed Cabral.
“Yes. DNA and fingerprint results are consistent. It was her,” Remulla said in a 24 Oras Weekend report.
The confirmation brought answers — and painful finality.
No foul play, autopsy shows
In a separate interview on Dobol B TV, Remulla revealed the results of the autopsy.
And according to authorities, there were no signs of foul play.
No ligature marks.
No strangulation.
No gunshot wounds.
No stab wounds.
“The cause of death is blunt force trauma from a fall,” Remulla explained.
A fall so severe, it was like dropping from a 10-storey building.
Devastating injuries
Remulla described the injuries in chilling detail.
The right side of Cabral’s face was crushed.
The back of her head was shattered.
A broken rib on her right side pierced her internal organs.
Both of her hands were fractured.
“These injuries are consistent with blunt force trauma,” Remulla said again.
And again, he emphasized: no signs of foul play.
What happened on Kennon Road?
Authorities believe Cabral fell 30 meters from the side of Kennon Road.
According to Remulla, CCTV footage and police accounts show that earlier that morning, Cabral stopped at the same spot.
She got out of the car.
She sat down.
Then she returned to her vehicle and went back to the hotel, where she stayed alone.
About an hour later, she went back down — to the very same location.
That was the last time she was seen alive.
Still under scrutiny
While foul play has not been established, Cabral’s driver, Ricardo Hernandez, remains a person of interest.
Remulla stressed that there were no signs of struggle in the area.
No witnesses reported anything unusual.
Her vehicle also showed no indication of violence.
No suicide note found
Authorities also confirmed that no suicide note was recovered.
“We have to assume that this is a mental health issue,” Remulla said.
Investigators are coordinating with Cabral’s family to retrieve her cellphone, which her husband said will be turned over after her cremation.
Police are also seeking a warrant to examine the hotel room where Cabral last stayed.
CCTV footage from the hotel has already been reviewed.
However, the family’s lawyer has asked the hotel to preserve the room, warning against any search without a court order.
Family speaks out
Cabral’s family strongly denied rumors that they faked her death.
“Claims that she and her family staged her death are reckless, baseless, and deeply insensitive,” the family said in a statement.
They also said DNA testing was unnecessary, as they had already positively identified her remains.
Investigation lapses
Amid public scrutiny, the Tuba, Benguet police chief has been relieved from his post due to lapses in the initial investigation.
The NBI is now asking motorists who passed through Kennon Road to submit any dashcam footage that could shed more light on Cabral’s final moments.
A complicated legacy
Once hailed as a model for “Women in Infrastructure,” Cabral’s career later became entangled in controversy.
Before her death, the Department of Justice was preparing to refer a plunder case to the Ombudsman involving alleged flood control anomalies in Bulacan.
Now, the investigation continues — not just into her death, but into the life, struggles, and unanswered questions she left behind.
A story of power.
Pressure.
And a tragic end that still weighs heavily on the nation.
