Ex-OWWA chief Arnell Ignacio insists P1.4-B transaction aboveboard

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Ignacio speaks out after days of silence, saying he was 'shocked' to hear allegations he was involved in an anomalous deal

MANILA, Philippines – Sacked Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) chief Arnell Ignacio insisted on Friday, May 23, that the P1.4-billion land acquisition transaction related to his replacement was legal and aboveboard.

Ignacio finally broke his silence on the allegation at a press conference where select media was invited. This was a week after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed then-migrant workers undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan as new OWWA chief. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac had confirmed that Ignacio was removed over his involvement in an anomalous land acquisition deal that did not go through the OWWA Board of Trustees.

According to Ignacio, he was “shocked” to hear of the allegations because there were official discussions on the transaction in the Senate and the Department of Budget and Management stretching back to 2018, when he was OWWA deputy administrator under the Rodrigo Duterte administration.

“Sinunod namin ang lahat ng mga requirements, at ito ay nakapasa, nabigyan kami ng special allotment release order at nagtuloy-tuloy ang proseso hanggang sa na-acquire ‘yung lupa,” Ignacio said.

(We followed all of the requirements, it was approved, and we were given a special allotment release order, and the process was smooth until we acquired the land.)

He categorically said that the deal was brought up with the board, where a technical working group assessed it as well. Cacdac was involved as chairman of the board. Ignacio said that there were no missteps found, and the transaction had adhered to the right-of-way law.

In an excerpt of the press conference Ignacio posted on his Facebook page, Ignacio did not give specific details as to what exactly the project was nor from whom the land was acquired from, but he described that they had bought the 6,499-square meter lot near Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay to be a “paradise” for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Rappler has also learned that it was meant to be an OWWA office that would also serve as a halfway house.

Ignacio said that the Land Bank of the Philippines had assessed the value of the land, and the OWWA under his leadership had a permit from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to build on it. The land is also under the name of the Republic of the Philippines.

“But let me tell you, to the OFWs I have been serving, hindi ko kayo pinagtaksilan. Ginawa ko lang ito para sa inyong pagmamahal at wala po akong kinita dito,” he said. (I have not betrayed you. I only did this for your love, and I did not earn anything from this.)

Cacdac said on Tuesday, May 20, that the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) was eyeing filing appropriate charges related to the transaction. He has yet to respond to Rappler’s inquiry asking if he would like to respond to Ignacio’s statement as of posting time. This story will be updated once he does. – Rappler.com