Acting Philippine National Police chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered a deep investigation into the death of former Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Catalina Cabral, whose body was found after a mysterious disappearance along Kennon Road.
Nartatez directed Brig. Gen. Ericson Dilag, director of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera, to ensure all angles are explored to “come up with a clear picture of what really happened.”
“While there was already an initial impression regarding what happened, we should not rule out any factor until our forensic investigators are able to establish the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it,” Nartatez said in a statement.
Investigators are working to determine if Cabral’s fall was accidental, a result of a medical emergency, or deliberate.
According to police reports, Cabral was traveling with her driver, Ricardo Muñoz Hernandez, toward La Union at approximately 3 p.m. Thursday. Cabral reportedly requested to stop at the Maramal area of Camp 5 along Kennon Road and instructed Hernandez to leave her there.
The driver returned two hours later to collect the former official. When he could not find her, he initially drove back to Cabral’s hotel in Baguio, assuming she had found a separate way back.
After failing to locate her at the hotel, Hernandez returned to Kennon Road to resume his search. Following several unsuccessful attempts to find her, he sought assistance from the View Deck Station 8 police substation at approximately 7 p.m.
Authorities later discovered Cabral’s body at the edge of the Bued River, several meters below the roadway.
Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways on Friday expressed its deepest condolences to the family of Cabral, who served the department for more than 40 years, and urged the public to respect the family’s privacy as they mourn her sudden passing. NLMonitor with a report from PNA
PNP orders ‘thorough’ probe into death of former DPWH official
