Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral was allegedly ready to face the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) once more before her death.

In a letter received by the commission on December 16, Cabral’s lawyer, Atty. Mae Divinagracia denied reports that Cabral did not attend its hearing the day before, according to a report by RH 15 Jecelle Ricafort.

She said her client did not intend to avoid the investigation, she simply had not received a subpoena or invitation from the independent probe body.

“To set the record straight, and contrary to news reports that are currently circulating, Ms. Cabral was not informed of today’s hearing. She did not receive any communication, let alone the purported subpoena, from the Honorable Commission about the same,” wrote Divinagracia.

Divinagracia noted that Cabral appeared before the ICI on September 24 last year when she was first subpoenaed and did not hesitate to answer their inquiries.

The lawyer also pointed out that the former undersecretary sent a representative to the ICI to ask whether Cabral was still needed in their investigation, and was told to wait for a subpoena.

Divinagracia stressed that Cabral was ready to cooperate with the commission in uncovering the truth about the flood control anomalies.

Cabral was found unconscious along the Bued River in Tuba, Benguet on December 18 and pronounced dead on December 19.