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| Cacdac points to blown-up photo of the check signed by Ignacio and used to pay for the land |
True to his promise, Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac filed a motion for reconsideration of the Ombudsman’s resolution dismissing the complaints for graft, malversation of public funds against former Administrator Arnell Ignacio of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration.
In its June 19 resolution, the Ombudsman only found probable cause to indict Ignacio for usurpation of official functions for using the OWWA Trust Fund to buy a land worth P1.415 billion without authorization from the OWWA Board of Trustees.
Cacdac said the crime alleged under Art 177 of the Revised Penal Code carries a penalty of only six months to four years’ imprisonment.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
He said the more serious offences, including plunder which is non-bailable and is punished with life imprisonment, should be filed against both Ignacio and the vendors, as the purchase price exceeded the Land Bank of the Philippines’appraisal by Php198,000,000.
This, he said, resulted “in a direct, quantifiable, and undue injury to the government and an unwarranted pecuniary benefit to the private parties.”
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| Cacdac shows photos of the land where Php97 million worth of condominiums have gone missing |
The DMW motion also
argued that plunder was committed because 51 condominium units valued at Php97
million which were supposed to have been bought along with the land, were demolished
after the sale was completed, thus causing further injury to the government.
A DMW statement quoted Cacdac as saying, “Above all, at least P97 million of government resources were plundered because the 51 condominium units paid for by the National Government are nowhere to be found.”
He also pointed out the unusual haste in completing the transaction led to unwarranted benefits to Ignacio and the seller. The cheque signed by Ignacio and dated Aug 30, 2024, was release to the sellers on Sep 11, 2022, a day before the Deed of Absolute Sale was executed.
Cacdac said the DMW remains duty-bound to be vigilant and pursue all legal remedies to protect public funds, uphold accountability in the use of government resources, and ensure that the welfare funds of OFWs are safeguarded according to law.
The Office of the Ombudsman said earlier that it welcomed the DMW's decision to seek a reconsideration of its resolution.
Ignacio has yet to respond to the filing of charges against him, but shortly after he was dismissed from office in May last year because of the alleged anomalous deal, he denied any wrongdoing, and said that everything he did was for the benefit of overseas Filipino workers.
He has since been replaced as OWWA Administrator by former DMW Undersecretary PY Caunan.
The case arose over OWWA’s acquisition of a 1.5-hectare property near Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in September 2024, which was supposedly to be used in building a halfway-house for distressed or displaced OFWs.
DMW said the property was unsuitable for development because it
is very close to the airport runway.
Initially, two of Ignacio’s former deputies at OWWA were also
named in the DMW complaint, along with six people who allegedly sold the
property. DMW made no mention of the two OWWA deputies in its motion, but
retained the sellers as respondents.
