In the ongoing Senate probe into alleged DPWH budget insertions for ghost flood control projects, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson has handed over documents linked to the late former undersecretary Catalina Cabral to authorities including the Ombudsman and DOJ. He urged restraint in public discussions, while a contractor paid P15 million in restitution via the Witness Protection Program.
The probe follows Cabral's death on December 18 near Bued River in Benguet, prompting urgent Ombudsman efforts to secure her gadgets, as previously reported. Lacson stated he instructed staff to consolidate and submit documents from Cabral and other sources to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), Ombudsman, and DOJ.
This comes after Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste disclosed Cabral's files indicating minimum P150 million allocations per House member for projects proposed by officials and private individuals, totaling tens of billions peaking in FY 2025. Sen. Loren Legarda denied knowledge of her name appearing, while Rep. Terry Ridon rejected involvement.
The Ombudsman has subpoenaed Cabral's electronic devices—including computer, USBs, and cloud storage—for PNP Anti-Cyber Crime Group review to check for alterations, alongside all DPWH Planning and PPP Services documents.
Separately, SYMS Construction Trading owner Sally Santos, admitted to the Witness Protection Program, paid P15 million to the DOJ as partial restitution. She confessed delivering nearly P1 billion to DPWH from 2002-2025, including P245 million in one day to the Bulacan office, and faces ghost project cases.
DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla indicated civil forfeiture pursuits against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez for negligence, stating, "If we cannot get him criminally, then we will go after his assets." A search warrant was also obtained for Cabral's room at Ion Hotel in Baguio prior to her death.
