The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on Friday urged authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the sudden death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina E. Cabral, citing the possibility of foul play.
In a statement, the ICI said Ms. Cabral was one of the key figures in the ongoing probe into anomalous government infrastructure projects, noting that her former position as undersecretary for planning gave her access to critical information.
She was declared dead after being found unconscious and unresponsive around 20 to 30 meters below a highway following an alleged fall from a cliff along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, on Thursday night, according to local police.
“Should authorities determine that there was foul play, it is possible that those responsible may also be connected to the anomalous infrastructure projects,” the ICI said.
The three-month-old commission also called on law enforcement agencies to immediately secure and preserve all of Ms. Cabral’s documents, gadgets, and computers for a potential digital forensics examination.
It also extended its condolences to Ms. Cabral’s family and friends.
The DPWH likewise expressed its condolences to the family of its former official, noting that she had served the agency for more than 40 years and that her loss would be mourned throughout the organization.
“We recognize the profound loss the family is facing and offer our sincerest prayers,” the DPWH said in a statement.
Ms. Cabral was among the DPWH undersecretaries earlier recommended by the ICI to face administrative charges before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged “ghost” flood control project in Bulacan.
Ms. Cabral had earlier been invited by the ICI to attend its hearing on anomalous flood control projects on Monday, but the commission said she did not appear at the hearing.— Edg Adrian A. Eva
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