Lacson calls Cabral's death 'tragic'

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Friday, Dec. 19, called the death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral "unfortunate and tragic", since she could have greatly helped expose the extent of corruption in the department's infrastructure program.

- By DHEL NAZARIO

Lacson, who also chairs the Blue Ribbon Committee that's looking into the flood control mess, said he hopes Cabral left notes or files that could help in the ongoing investigations.

"It was unfortunate and tragic that former undersecretary Catalina Cabral would end her life at a time when she could have significantly contributed to blowing wide open the extent of corruption not only in flood control projects but all other anomalies in the infrastructure program of the DPWH," he said.

Lacson narrated that Cabral, through her lawyer, met with him and two of his legislative staff upon her initiative, for a preliminary discussion on how she could proceed with her testimony before the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing. This was right after former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo first mentioned her name in his sworn testimony, he said.

At the time, Lacson said he had the impression that Cabral "was showing some signs of cooperating with our investigation but with a lot of pressure which we could not explain".

"What bolstered my confidence was her lawyer's statement that she could completely put her trust in me being the chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, with the knowledge that I have never dipped my fingers in any of the lists of projects-"pork", "allocables" or whatever name/s invented that she used to prepare for legislators and other personalities, she being the Usec for Planning," he said.

"That being said, I hope she left some notes or files that may have evidentiary value worth pursuing in the ongoing investigations," Lacson added.

"Finally, may she rest in peace," he said.

Meanwhile, Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada said that this is, above all else, a time of mourning for Cabral's family.