The remains of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral arrived in Quezon City at around 3:21 a.m. on Sunday, December 21, 2025.
Her body was transported from Baguio City, leaving at about 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 20, as reported by Romy Gonzales.
Cabral was found unconscious and unresponsive on December 18 beside the Bued River in Tuba, Benguet, about 20 to 30 meters below Kennon Road. Her driver said she asked him to drop her off at a roadside location earlier that day. She was pronounced dead in the early hours of December 19.
An autopsy was conducted to determine the exact cause of her death and to establish whether her injuries were consistent with a fall.
On Saturday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed that the cadaver of a woman found in Tuba, Benguet was Cabral, based on DNA analysis and fingerprint examination.
Police said there are no confirmed indications of foul play so far, and the investigation remains ongoing.
On Saturday night, operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)–Cordillera Administrative Region served a search warrant at the hotel room in Baguio City where the former DPWH Undersecretary had previously stayed.
Meanwhile, wake and funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by her family in the coming days.
