DILG chief: Circumstances indicate Cabral’s death was suicide

Trigger Warning: Mentions suicide and death

MANILA, Philippines — The late Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral died by suicide, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said.

In an interview with ANC on Monday, December 22, Remulla stated that all circumstances point to a deliberate act rather than an accident.

“All signs point to suicide,” Remulla said. 

According to Remulla, Cabral visited the exact spot where she fell twice on the day of her death.

He said that dashcam footage showed her sitting on the ledge at 10 a.m. before police instructed her to move her car. She later returned to the same spot at 2 p.m. after having lunch at the hotel where she was staying.

“At 2 o'clock, she stopped by the very same place where her picture was taken, where the selfie was taken, and she asked the driver to ‘mauna ka na’ (you go first), and the driver, understanding that he would meet her back in the hotel because that's what they do during inspections,” Remulla said. 

“When he turned around, she wasn't there on the ledge anymore,” he added. 

Remulla also stated that no blood, signs of struggle, or disarray were found.

Furthermore, the autopsy revealed no skin cells under her fingernails, no gunshot wounds, and no ligature marks on her neck, suggesting that no physical altercation occurred prior to the fall.

“So there was no sign of struggle,” he said. 

Concerning her fall from the ravine, Remulla noted that Cabral fell headfirst, resulting in crushed ribs, broken ankles, broken hands and extensive injuries to the face and back of the head.

He added that a typical slip would usually result in leg injuries, but the fact that her face hit first and both hands were broken suggests a deliberate fall.

“So, a slip you would have damaged your legs. But both hands are broken, and their face was hit first,” Remulla said.

“It could not have been a slip. I'm not a forensic pathologist, but it looks like it was really a deliberate fall,” he added. 

Driver was promised a house

When asked why the driver, Ricardo Hernandez, took a selfie of Cabral hours before her fall, Remulla said that Hernandez was happy during the trip, as the late undersecretary had promised to help him build a house.

“She promised him to help him build a house,” Remulla said. 

“Nangako siya (Cabral), he (Hernandez) was very happy…he was happy,” he added.

(She promised, he was very happy…he was happy)

Cabral was found unconscious on December 19 along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, shortly after parting ways with her driver.

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If you or someone you know needs assistance, contact the National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline at +63 917 899 8727 and 7989 8727.