Following the confirmation of the identity of the remains found in Benguet, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is now focusing on establishing the circumstances that led to the death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.

Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr. said the confirmation clears the air on the speculations and suggestions posted on social media about whether or not the remains were indeed that of Cabral’s.

“With the confirmation of her death, we were able to clear things up on the speculations of the identity of the remains. The next step is to establish what really happened and this is now the focus of all our efforts in relation to this case,” said Nartatez.

This is the reason why her driver is being subjected to interrogation and why other measures are being taken to shed light on what really happened before the reported death of Cabral, he added.

Nartatez said they are carefully handling the investigation as the incident is of national interest due to the allegations of her involvement in the multi-billion pesos flood control controversy.

He said coordination is also being done with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and other concerned agencies to determine the pieces of evidence that need to be secured in relation to the flood control probe.

“We in the PNP understand the sensitivity of the situation on the part of the Cabral family, but there is a need to pursue measures to secure possible pieces of evidence in her possession because public interest is involved due to the flood control issue,” said Nartatez.

Part of the effort, according to him, is the coordination with other agencies in securing all the pieces of evidence with regard to the ongoing investigation into the flood control controversy.

“This is really important for us as part of the commitment that we declare at the start of the flood control investigation that your PNP is committed to assist in finding the truth and pursue transparency and accountability,” said Nartatez.

In order to prevent lapses that resulted in the relief of a police official in Tuba, Nartatez ordered stricter internal supervision of local police units involved in the Cabral case.

“This is not only to clarify the circumstances of her death but also to support our ongoing probe into the alleged flood control anomalies in the DPWH, so that no evidence is left unchecked," said Nartatez.

“We will continue to enhance training, strengthen oversight, and enforce accountability measures so that every investigation meets the standards expected by the public,” he added.

Nartatez earlier urged netizens not to speculate and he renewed the same appeal as the PNP is now trying to look into all factors surrounding the incident involving Cabral.