Key witness in massive Philippine corruption scandal found dead

A former senior Philippine government executive embroiled in a massive corruption scandal was found dead on Dec 18 after an apparent fall from a cliff in the country’s north.

- Raul Dancel Correspondent

Former Public Works undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, 63, was reported to have fallen along Kennon Road in Tuba town, Benguet province, a mountainous area known for its steep terrain and winding roads.

Her driver told investigators she asked him to drop her off by the roadside at around 3pm. He then drove to a petrol station, and went back to fetch her two hours later, but she was no longer there.

He said he went to the hotel where Ms Cabral was staying, thinking she might be there. Sensing something amiss, he went to the police to report her as missing at 7pm. Ms Cabral’s body was found at the foot of a cliff an hour later.

Interior and Local Government Minister Jonvic Remulla said in a news conference on Dec 19 that the authorities had so far found “no foul play” in her death, but stopped short of saying whether it was an accident or suicide.

“There were no signs... But usually in these cases, you really can’t tell when things are happening,” he said.

Mr Remulla said there had been lapses in securing the crime scene, and that the driver was being treated as a “person of interest”.

“Any death of that nature is considered a crime scene. There must be extensive investigation first. But the body was immediately turned over to the family. There should have been a mandatory holding period,” he said.

The family, however, had agreed to an autopsy, he said.