MANILA, Philippines — Blunt traumatic injuries consistent with a fall caused the death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral based on the official autopsy report, as police continued to investigate the full circumstances surrounding her death. Authorities also confirmed that the body recovered from the Bued River in Tuba, Benguet was positively identified as Cabral. DNA testing has yet to be conducted and remains subject to orders from higher authorities. Investigators said the post-mortem examination was conducted early Saturday after Cabral’s family granted consent. The autopsy began at around 3:40 a.m. at Cordillera Serenity Memorial, with her husband, Cesar Cabral, present during the procedure. Police stressed that while the cause of death has been established, the investigation was ongoing to determine the complete sequence of events that led to Cabral’s fall. Cabral was reported missing on Dec. 18 after she asked to be dropped off along Kennon Road while traveling to La Union. Her driver later returned to the area but failed to find her. Believing that she may have gone to a hotel in Baguio City, the driver checked nearby establishments before returning to Kennon Road that evening. With no sign of Cabral, the incident was reported to police. At around 8 p.m. the same day, authorities found Cabral unconscious and unresponsive along the Bued River, an estimated 20 to 30 meters below the highway. She was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.