MANILA — Police investigators on Tuesday said former Public Works undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral most likely slipped and fell into a ravine in Benguet province, dismissing speculation that she was pushed to her death.
Cabral, who had been linked to alleged bribery and irregularities in flood control projects, was found dead at the bottom of a ravine along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, on the evening of December 18.
At a press briefing at Camp Crame, Philippine National Police (PNP) Forensic Group officer-in-charge Col. Pierre Paul Carpio said a 3D scan of the scene showed Cabral fell from a height of 16.9 meters and landed just about 0.2 meters from the base of the ravine where she was last seen.
Carpio said injuries on Cabral’s hands and back indicate she struck an object before hitting the ground, supporting the theory that she slipped rather than being pushed. A large rock was also found near the area where her body landed.
“That is a big rock. If she had been pushed, she would have hit it,” Carpio said, explaining that the physical evidence was inconsistent with a forceful shove.
Investigators said the ravine at Camp 5 had an 8.58-degree slope and stood nearly 17 meters high, roughly equivalent to a six- to nine-story building.
Cabral died from blunt traumatic injuries to the head, neck, and upper and lower extremities caused by the fall.
Her time of death was estimated between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on December 18 based on postmortem findings.
In addition to her primary injuries, she sustained fractures, contusions, and abrasions on her hands and back, as well as a subdural hemorrhage consistent with a vertical impact.
Carpio said all the injuries were of the same age, and that the autopsy results, crime scene scanning, toxicology exam, and trajectory analysis were consistent with a single fall.
He again rejected claims of foul play, noting that Cabral’s body was found only 0.2 to 0.8 meters from the base of the ravine. “If she was pushed, the body would likely have landed farther away,” he said, adding that scratch marks on her hands and back suggest an attempt to brace herself while slipping.
A toxicology test earlier confirmed that Cabral tested positive for an antidepressant medication.
However, police declined to classify her death as either a suicide or an accident, saying the investigation remains focused on forensic findings.
Carpio also disclosed that none of Cabral’s family members volunteered to provide DNA samples, despite repeated requests from investigators.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier confirmed that the remains recovered from the ravine belonged to Cabral, but still ordered an autopsy to rule out any possibility of a staged or fake death.
Authorities said Cabral’s identity was confirmed through family recognition and matching fingerprint records.
Cabral had previously denied allegations that she received kickbacks related to flood control and infrastructure projects.