The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is preparing to file graft charges this week against former Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Arnell Ignacio and several others over a controversial P1.4-billion land acquisition.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac confirmed that the case will be brought before the Office of the Ombudsman, citing violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
“We are slated to file the Ombudsman case this week for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019),” Cacdac said during an ambush interview ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address.
Cacdac added that the complaint will include two former OWWA deputy administrators and private individuals involved in the land sale. He indicated that more individuals could be implicated as the case progresses.
The land in question was reportedly intended for an accommodation center or halfway house for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)—a project Cacdac deemed unnecessary. He also emphasized that the OWWA board did not authorize the deal.
Ignacio was earlier removed from his post due to a “loss of trust and confidence,” according to Cacdac, with the land deal playing a central role in the decision. Further details of the case will be made public once the complaint is officially filed.
