MANILA — The Department of Migrant Workers has asked the Office of the Ombudsman to reinstate graft and malversation charges against the former head of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration over a 1.4-billion-peso (roughly $24 million) property acquisition that officials say was riddled with irregularities.
The agency filed a motion for reconsideration on July 17, urging the Ombudsman to overturn its June 19 resolution that dismissed the core charges against Arnell Ignacio, the former OWWA administrator. The Ombudsman had indicted Ignacio only on the lesser charge of usurpation of official functions.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, who filed the motion in his capacity as complainant, said the Ombudsman had misread the evidence in concluding that two key elements of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act — manifest partiality or gross negligence, and undue injury to the government — had not been established.
“The totality of the evidence is sufficient to establish probable cause,” the motion states.
At the center of the dispute is the release of two checks totaling 1.4 billion pesos to the property seller before a deed of sale was signed.
“The checks for the seller amounting to 1.4 billion pesos were issued 12 days prior to the sale,” Cacdac told reporters Monday. “There was no deed of sale yet. This amount of money is no joke.”
The motion also alleges that the transaction bypassed the OWWA Board of Trustees, the body authorized to approve real property acquisitions, and that the purchase price exceeded the Land Bank’s valuation of approximately 1.2 billion pesos for the land and 51 condominium units included in the deal.
Further compounding the controversy, officials say the 51 condominium units no longer exist.
“When the new administrator went to inspect the property, the 51 condominium units were nowhere to be found — the building had been completely demolished,” Cacdac said. “OWWA is now holding titles to condominium units that do not exist.”
The department said it is seeking a full review of the Ombudsman’s findings.
