The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it is looking into whether more officials were involved in the alleged ₱1.4-billion land acquisition deal besides dismissed Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) administrator Arnell Ignacio.
DMW secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the department is collecting additional details on the questionable transaction, which was reportedly undertaken without the OWWA board’s authorization, before filing the appropriate cases against those implicated.
“‘Yan ang isang bagay na sinusuri ngayon, ‘yung posibilidad na merong iba pang sangkot. Kasi ang ipinalit sa Board ay isang komite within the OWWA. Hindi kinonsulta ang Board pero may sariling komite na binuo,” Cacdac said.
“Ito ang sinusuri natin kung sino ang kasama dito, sa pagpapasya na hindi konsultahin ang Board at mag-proceed dito sa transaksyon na may mga aspeto na kailangan pa nating lalong suriin,” he added.
DMW Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne “PJ” Caunan said the ₱1.4-billion land purchase approved during Arnell Ignacio’s tenure was intended to build a halfway house or dormitory-style facility for overseas Filipino workers near Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.
Caunan has since taken over as OWWA administrator after Ignacio was removed for “loss of trust and confidence” stemming from the land deal he allegedly pursued without OWWA Board approval.
When asked whether the ₱1.4 billion can still be recovered, Cacdac replied, “‘Yan ay isang bagay din na pinag-aaralan pa natin.”