Palace Calls for Investigation into Sourcing of Controversial 'Cabral Files'
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro on Sunday called for a thorough investigation into how the controversial "Cabral files" were obtained, raising questions about the handling of sensitive government documents.
"Yes, sa aking palagay dapat imbestigahan kasi kay Secretary Vince Dizon nagmula ang mga salita na ito at kung paano nga ba nakuha 'yun," Castro said during an interview on Super Radyo dzBB. "Kasi ang importante dito, paano nga ba nakuha ang anumang files mula sa staff?"
The Palace official emphasized that the documents allegedly came from staff members rather than directly from the late former DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, casting doubt on their authenticity and proper procurement.
Controversial Document Release
The controversy stems from documents released by Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste on Wednesday, which he claimed were summary files of the 2025 DPWH budget provided by Cabral before her death.
Leviste shared the extensive list of projects per congressional district on his Facebook account, revealing what he described as "allocable" budget totaling P401.3 billion. According to the congressman, this amount allegedly ballooned to P1.041 trillion when including "outside allocable" funds.
The representative claimed Cabral gave him the computer files in September while she was still DPWH undersecretary for planning and public-private partnerships, shortly after current Secretary Vince Dizon assumed his role.
Secretary Dizon's Response
However, Secretary Dizon firmly denied authenticating any documents in Leviste's possession. "For the record, wala akong ina-authenticate na dokumento na hawak ni Cong. dahil wala akong, hindi ko nakikita kung anong sinasabi niyang dokumento," Dizon told GMA Integrated News.
Dizon revealed that Cabral had informed him that Leviste forcibly obtained copies of the files by using a staff member's computer and saving them to his flash drive, raising serious concerns about unauthorized access to government documents.
Questions of Authenticity
Castro questioned the legitimacy of the documents, asking: "Kung ganu'n nga ang nangyari, anu-anong files ang na-transfer? Anu-anong files ang na-authenticate?"
She cited Senator Rodante Marcoleta's assessment that without proper verification, such documents "will just be considered as speculation at tsismis at maaaring makagulo pa. Pero kung ito ay totoo, makakatulong."
Background on Cabral Case
The late Undersecretary Cabral was under investigation for anomalies in flood control projects when she was found dead on December 19 beside the Bued River in Tuba, Benguet, approximately 20 to 30 meters below Kennon Road.
The Department of Justice was preparing to refer a plunder case involving Cabral to the Ombudsman concerning alleged anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan before her untimely death. The case involves several DPWH officials and project proponents who may have benefited from the questionable contracts.
As investigations continue, the Palace's call for transparency in document sourcing reflects the administration's commitment to proper governance procedures while ensuring that speculation does not overshadow legitimate inquiry into potential corruption.