SACKED EX-OWWA CHIEF ARNELL IGNACIO, OTHERS PROBED OVER P1.4-B LAND DEAL

FORMER Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) administrator Arnell Ignacio is under investigation over an alleged anomalous transaction under his term, Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said.

Cacdac, on Tuesday, confirmed that Ignacio was removed from his post and was replaced by Patricia Yvonne Caunan. 

He said Ignacio was sacked as OWWA chief  in connection with the alleged anomalous P1.4 billion land acquisition deal made by OWWA, which was not approved by the Board.

The land purchase deal was supposed to be for a “half-way house” or a dormitory-type accommodation of overseas Filipino workers to be located near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.

Cacdac said they are still in the process of digging deeper into the questionable deal.

“Were are still in the process of digging deeper, finding details, looking into documents, talking to personnel inside bakit ito nangyari. Wala man lang abiso or anuman whether formal or informal about this transaction,” Cacdac said.

He added that the case was first presented to him by Ignacio himself last year.

Cacdac said there was a document on the supposedly anomalous transaction, but it did not show the complete picture.

According to him, a white paper came out sometime in October regarding the matter.

Cacdac said the investigation is also looking into the possibility that others may be involved in the huge transaction.

“Nobody is exempted or safe from this investigation. We will go as deep as we can and as broad and wide as we can in terms of who are culpable,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ignacio said he would address the matter in a proper forum as he  declined to provide a statement in the meantime.