A whodunit before Christmas

Because of the long Christmas holidays, we have early deadlines, so by the time this piece comes out, much of what I say here could be outdated. But, like good soldiers, we write anyway because journalism, as they say, is history in a hurry or the first draft of history.

Befuddled and perplexed by the recent incidents that played out in the news and on social media just before Christmas? “Elementary, dear Watson,” Sherlock Holmes might have said. But no, not in these parts where many high crimes and tragedies remain shrouded in mystery. Or where seeking justice and the truth is more life-threatening than a trek to the Philippines’ highest peak.

Hereabouts, the simplest procedures in cases of suspicious deaths are not always observed, deliberately or out of ignorance, as in the case of the blockbuster whodunit before Christmas.

First, our condolences to the Cabral family. We mean no disrespect in discussing the obvious and the not-so-obvious. The untimely—or was it timely?—death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Catalina Cabral is the talk of the town (viral, trending in cyberspeak) online and offline. Cabral was under investigation for her alleged major role in determining who might get how much of the thundering billions in kickbacks for overpriced infrastructure projects, many of which turned out to be either substandard or nonexistent. She named names, the cast of characters in massive corruption in infrastructure projects uncovered recently, in flood control, particularly, thanks or no thanks to the equally massive flooding that submerged homes and livelihoods and broke open the gates into wealth porn long unseen.

Cabral had shown up in the Independent Commission for Infrastructure investigation, but she was a no-show in the last one on Dec. 15. On Dec. 19, she was dead, her body found to have fallen down a 30-meter ravine along Kennon Road going up to Baguio City. Her driver, Mario Hernandez, now a person of interest, left her there a second time, upon her request, on the side of the road overlooking a rocky bottom, not a place to clear one’s head.

Who was Hernandez, and how long had he been in Cabral’s employ? There is a selfie of him smiling, with what looks like Cabral far in the background, sitting on the concrete barrier and staring into the abyss. Did he suspect something might happen? A dashcam video from a passing car also shows Cabral there. Why did the driver leave her out of his sight? Police on patrol had earlier asked them to leave. Why did she go back to be left alone? Was she going to meet someone there? Why didn’t her driver stay close? After he came back, she was nowhere to be found, and darkness had fallen. That was when, he said, he alerted the police.

Who headed the police team that went to the scene of the tragedy? In the aftermath, was the scene of the tragedy cordoned off? Have investigators gone down again to where Cabral’s body fell to look for clues? After the driver had surrendered Cabral’s personal belongings, including her cell phone to investigators, why did the police turn these over to her husband so fast when they might contain vital clues and information? Where are these items now?

What did Cesar Cabral know about his wife’s trip to Baguio? Has CCTV footage showing Cabral’s coming and going at the Ion Hotel in Baguio on the day of her death been checked? What is the background of Cesar Cabral? Has a lifestyle check been done on the Cabrals, the same process that other persons under investigation have undergone? Have Cabral’s bank accounts been frozen?

This tragedy now forms part of the continuing saga of massive corruption that has been uncovered of late, and the personalities involved—corrupt politicians and persons in the government bureaucracy in connivance with private individuals. What, where, how, how much, why.

The Inquirer’s Dec. 21 headline said, “Body is Cabral’s; Cause of fall still a mystery.” More questions than answers. Did Cabral fall accidentally? Did she jump to her death? Was she pushed into the ravine to kill and silence her? As one Facebook user so clearly differentiated the three hows in Filipino: Nahulog, nagpatihulog, o inihulog? Balarila exercise on my mind! Hulog (fall) is the root word of all three.

Outside of her family, did Cabral approach anyone to seek advice? Did she leave a note or a signed confession? Just as important as crime scene forensics are the money and paper trails that need to be followed before they get cold or are made to vanish altogether. Time is of the essence. “Dead men tell no tales” is not always true. There are footprints, voiceprints, and fingerprints that linger in cyberspace and physical spaces, and in the memories of eyewitnesses over the years.

Those who profited immensely from their dealings with the late DPWH undersecretary had better create memories of their last Christmas under the stars.

Try having a Bethlehem-like Christmas.

—————-

Send feedback to cerespd@gmail.com