Photo credit: Congress PH

As questions continue to surround the death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Ma. Catalina Cabral, authorities and civic groups are moving to secure potential evidence tied to ongoing investigations.

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered authorities in Benguet to take custody of Cabral’s cellphone and other electronic gadgets following confirmation that she died Thursday night, December 18, after reportedly falling into a ravine. The move aims to preserve possible evidence linked to alleged anomalies in government infrastructure projects.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has also called for a prompt, thorough, and transparent investigation into Cabral’s death. The commission described Cabral as one of the central figures in the ongoing probe into anomalous government infrastructure projects.

ICI further urged law enforcement agencies to immediately secure and preserve Cabral’s documents, gadgets, and computers for possible digital forensic examination.

Meanwhile, Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste revealed that Cabral allegedly kept a computer file listing all proponents involved in DPWH budget insertions. According to Leviste, only a few individuals are believed to have copies of the list.

“If that list comes out, the investigations would essentially be over,” Leviste said.

With authorities now focusing on securing Cabral’s digital records, attention is turning to what her devices may reveal—and how these could impact the broader investigations into public infrastructure projects.