FORMER public works undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral has a complete list of ranking officials in the executive and legislative branches of government, as well as private individuals, behind “insertions” in the 2025 budget, which was previously denounced as the ‘most corrupt budget’ in the country’s history.
In a social media post on his official FB account on December 21, Batangas Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste said the list could have “far-reaching effects” as it records the “proponents” of flood control and other DPWH projects across the government — “not only Congressmen and Senators, but also officials from the Executive, including Secretaries and Undersecretaries outside the DPWH, as well as private individuals.”
Suicide, murder, or accident?
Leviste made the statement three days after Cabral was found dead near the Bued River below Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, in the evening of December 18.
Cabral’s driver, Ricardo Muñoz Hernandez, said Cabral requested for her to be left alone for a while past 3pm that day and saw her sitting at a concrete barrier near the road but she was no longer there when he returned some two hours later.
In media interviews right after her body was found, Hernandez said he even cautioned Cabral to be careful given the steep height. In previous social media posts that came out, Cabral said fear of height is her phobia.
After failing to locate his boss, Hernandez said he sought the help of the local police who then organized a search party and discovered her body some 30 meters below the ridge.
The autopsy revealed that Cabral died from severe injuries resulting from the fall, according to Local Government and Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
While evidence and circumstances indicated suicide, there remains speculation that she was intentionally killed or accidentally lost her balance and fell to her death.
Cabral, a certified civil engineer, was among the top government executives implicated in the multi-billion flood control project scam and was forced to resign last September 14, in the aftermath of the massive revamp at the DPWH that led to the resignation of Secretary Manuel Bonoan and his replacement by former Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on September 1.
Cabral is being sought by the Senate to shed light on the controversy and appeared before the Blue Ribbons Committee last September 1 and September 8 and before the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) last September 24.
Will Secretary Dizon release the ‘Cabral List?’
In his post, Leviste said has been asking the DPWH for the list of budget data for every congressional district since May and met with Cabral last June 11 to discuss the matter.
When Dizon took over, Leviste said Dizon instructed Cabral to turn over the list to him “in accordance with the principle of transparency” and got it on September 4.
Leviste, however, added it would be up to the DPWH chief and the ICI to release the list to the public.
Leviste said he gave copies of the list to the ICI last November 18 and to the Office of the Ombudsman last November 26.
“Since then, many have demanded that the files of the late USec Cabral be made public. I’ll wait for DPWH’s position if they (want to) make this public,” Leviste said.
Solon behind the anti-Duterte ‘Quadcomm’ dead
Even as the administration is yet to recover from the shock of Cabral’s sudden demise, another of its allies, former Antipolo Second District Representative Romeo Acop, suffered a heart attack and was pronounced dead on Saturday, December 20. He was 78.
Acop only last November had a kidney transplant and was apparently “recovering well” when he suffered a heart attack and died while being rushed to the hospital.
A former police general and a lawyer closely identified with the camp of Senator Panfilo Lacson, Acop served as vice-chairman of the infamous House ‘Quad Committee’ (QuadComm), specifically focused to uncover—and manufacture—political dirt against the Dutertes and their allies and supporters in the 19th Congress.