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Ignacio had 52 condominiums razed in P1.4 billion land deal, says DMW

28 May 2025

 

Ignacio in his final visit to HK as OWWA Administrator

A building with 52 condominium units was torn down on the P1.4 billion land that the sacked administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Arnell Ignacio, had bought without going through proper legal channels, according to the Department of Migrant Workers.

DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac cited this in several interviews, including one with The SUN, as among so-called “red flags” or warning signs that attended the purchase of the land by Ignacio from a real estate developer.

The condominiums could have easily served as temporary shelters for overseas Filipino workers, if that was Ignacio’s real intention in buying the lot adjacent to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in September last year.

Secretary Cacdac said the land title specifies the building housing the condominiums as part of the purchase, and he had no idea why Ignacio had them razed.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

But an even bigger anomaly according to Cacdac, was that Ignacio signed the Deed of Absolute sale in September 2024 without prior approval from the Board of Trustees, in violation of Section 22 of the OWWA Charter.

In addition, Ignacio alleged diverted OWWA’s P2.6 billion repatriation fund to cover the land purchase, again without approval from the OWWA Board, which Cacdac chairs as DMW secretary.

“What the former administrator did was to convert this P2.6 billion of emergency repatriation fund into capital outlay for land acquisition,” Cacdac said in an interview with ANC. “This, too, should have gone to the Board.”

Pindutin para sa detalye

Ignacio appeared before the media earlier, and firmly denied any irregularities in the P1.4 billion land deal that led Malacanang to remove him from his post.

“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,” Ignacio said at the news conference where he spoke at length but did not take any question. (But let me tell you, the OFWs I have been serving, I did not betray you. I just did this because of my love for you but I did not make money from it).

He also made a vague reference about reporting to the OWWA Board about the land deal but stopped short of saying he had obtained its approval. He merely asserted that the negotiations over the land purchase had been going on for some time, with the Board’s full knowledge.

The OWWA Board with Cacdac as chair should have approved the land deal (File)

Cacdac is adamant the Board had no prior knowledge about the land purchase. He said Ignacio only informed the Board after the transaction was discovered, including amendments in the deed that allowed the seller to be “refunded” for the Php36 million that he paid as local transfer tax for the sale.

After a letter from “concerned OWWA employees” questioning the land deal reached the OWWA Board, Ignacio was told to get back the money from the seller.

Sabi namin, anomalya yan, dapat i-produce yung ibalik yung pera na yan at agad naman binalik,” said Cacdac.  (We said, that’s anomalous, the money should be returned—and it was, but only after we called his attention to it.)

Basahin ang detalye!

Another red flag, said Cacdac, was the rent for the existing commercial spaces on the land. Even after the title had passed on to the national government in November last year, an “attorney in fact” for the seller had allegedly been collecting the rent.

When questioned about it, Ignacio could not provide an answer, said Cacdac.

Eventually, the seller paid Php1.4 million to OWWA in rent from September 2024 to March this year, from two commercial lessees, KFC and Smart Communications.

The DMW chief who is on holdover capacity following his courtesy resignation on May 21 on orders of Malacanang, said criminal charges against Ignacio are being readied, while an administrative case had already been filed against him earlier.

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