The death of Usec. Maria Catalina Cabral has ignited controversies
Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral said in a past interview that her biggest phobia is heights.
Cabral was found dead
around 8 PM on December 18, at 20 to 30 meters below the highway in the Camp 5 area of Barangay Camp 4. Allegedly, he fell off a cliff. To recall, Cabral resigned from her post in DPWH when her name was dragged into the anomalous flood control projects.
Allegedly, she received kickbacks from substandard and non-existent flood control projects. Based on initial reports, the former Usec. was traveling from Baguio to La Union province when he asked her driver to leave her alone at Purok Maramal, Sitio Camp 5 in Barangay Camp 4 at around 3 PM.
📸: Rappler
It was said that the driver returned at 5 PM, and he can no longer locate Maria Catalina Cabral. As of this writing, authorities considered the former Usec’s death an alleged fall.
However, questions are being raised on social media surrounding the death of Cabral, and one of them was the fact that in a previous interview, she admitted that she was afraid of heights.
This was during an interview with D+C Design and Construction Magazine in 2018, based on the article in Abante. She was asked, “Biggest phobia?” and her answer was, “Oh… Heights?”
Maria Catalina
Cabral’s driver, Cardo Hernandez
, reportedly said in an interview that he told the former Usec not to go near or sit on the stone on the side of the road because it was too slippery.
Meanwhile, the
Ombudsman ordered the local authorities in Benguet to preserve the custody of the mobile phone and other gadgets of Cabral
, as these will be turned over to the investigators at the proper time. Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said that they need Cabral’s belongings at all costs.