Latest news with #P1.4-billion
Filipino Times
25-05-2025
- Business
- Filipino Times
DMW disputes Arnell Ignacio's claim OWWA land deal was aboveboard
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has challenged former OWWA administrator Arnell Ignacio's claim that a P1.4-billion land deal followed legal procedures, calling the transaction 'anomalous.' DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said any property-related decisions involving the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration must first be presented to the OWWA Board of Trustees, where the DMW sits as a member. But the land purchase and key changes to the deed of sale were made without board approval, he said. 'We flagged it as irregular and demanded the return of the funds. Only then was the money refunded,' Cacdac told GMA Integrated News. Cacdac pointed out that in September 2024, Ignacio altered the deed of absolute sale to shift the local transfer tax obligation, amounting to P36 million, without consulting the board. The original version of the deed made OWWA responsible for the tax. The DMW also revealed that the presence of a tenant on the property was never disclosed. As a result, OWWA unknowingly became a 'landlord' and was not receiving rent until the matter was investigated. 'I asked him, 'Where's the rent?' He said, 'We're asking the rent collector.' I asked, 'Who?' He said, 'The former landowner.' Why was the former landowner authorized to collect rent on OWWA's behalf, without board approval?' Cacdac said. He added that the same person who received the P36 million was also given P1.4 million in rent collections. 'And if we hadn't demanded it, the money wouldn't have been returned,' he said. The DMW emphasized that these actions violated financial protocols and transparency standards. In his defense, Ignacio earlier said that the board was informed and that the Land Bank of the Philippines had appraised the property. 'The price OWWA paid reflects LandBank's assessment,' Ignacio said.
Filipino Times
25-05-2025
- Business
- Filipino Times
Arnell Ignacio defends P1.4-B OWWA land deal: ‘Legacy project' for OFWs, not anomalous
Former OWWA Administrator Arnell Ignacio defended the agency's P1.4-billion land acquisition project, saying talks about the deal started as early as 2018 when he was still deputy administrator. Ignacio said the proposal had been brought up in the Senate, where he appealed for flexibility in using the agency's funds. He also claimed they coordinated with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), which provided legal guidance on modifying fund usage. 'All requirements were followed, and the project passed the necessary processes, including the issuance of a Special Allotment Release Order,' he said during a press conference in Quezon City. He added that the OWWA board was informed, and a technical working group reviewed the project under then-Chairman Secretary Hans Cacdac. Ignacio denied any irregularities in the transaction, asserting compliance with Republic Act 10752 and saying the deal should not be called 'anomalous.' 'This is a legacy project for OFWs,' Ignacio said, referring to the 6,499-square-meter property near NAIA Terminal 1. The site, he said, is intended for a halfway house for returning OFWs. He added that Landbank conducted the valuation and CAAP issued the necessary permits. Responding to corruption allegations, Ignacio insisted he did not earn anything from the transaction. 'To the OFWs I have been serving, I did not betray you. I did this out of love and did not profit from it,' he said. Earlier, Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said Ignacio was removed for proceeding with the land purchase without the board's approval. Malacañang said investigations are ongoing, but initial findings showed that the OWWA trust fund was not used for the property purchase.
GMA Network
24-05-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
DMW insists OWWA land deal 'anomalous'
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has refuted former Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) chief Arnell Ignacio's claim that the P1.4-billion land acquisition deal went through proper legal channels. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac, along with other DMW officials, said that critical steps—most notably, obtaining approval from the OWWA Board of Trustees—were entirely bypassed. According to Cacdac, under established law, any transaction and subsequent modifications involving OWWA properties must be presented to and approved by the Board of Trustees—which includes DMW representatives. However, the decision to purchase the property and alter key provisions in the Deed of Absolute Sale was never disclosed to the board. 'What we observed was an anomalous process. The money, which was refunded following our intervention, should have been produced as proof immediately,' Cacdac stated during an interview with GMA Integrated News. DMW officials detailed that in September 2024, Ignacio amended the deed to shift the responsibility for the local transfer tax. The original document clearly held OWWA accountable for the tax, but a later version redirected this obligation to involve a P36 million payment—a significant change that was made without notifying the board. The investigation uncovered that Ignacio failed to disclose the presence of a leasing tenant occupying the property. The board later discovered that OWWA had, in effect, assumed the role of 'landlord' without formal approval. In a pointed exchange, Cacdac questioned Ignacio's account of the transaction. 'I asked, 'Where is the rent?' and learned that it was still being collected by the previous landowner—someone who, without board approval, was authorized to act as a private rent collector for an amount reportedly around P1.4 million,' Cacdac explained. He added that such practices run counter to standard procedures and exacerbate concerns over financial transparency. Ignacio had earlier defended his actions by insisting that all transactions were reported to the board and that the property's valuation was properly assessed by the Land Bank of the Philippines—the designated government financial institution. 'It is the LandBank that determined the value, and the amount paid by OWWA reflects that assessment,' Ignacio said. However, Cacdac argued that the LandBank's reliance on the Right of Way Law was misplaced. 'That law is not applicable to this purchase, especially when there's no approved national infrastructure project and no board sanction to invoke it,' he said. DMW officials have already expanded their inquiry to the tax aspects of the deal. They are currently consulting with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to determine whether the proper tax—possibly value-added tax rather than capital gains tax—was applied, given that the seller is a realty corporation. As the investigation continues, DMW remains committed to demanding full transparency and adherence to protocol in all transactions involving public funds. — VBL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
23-05-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Arnell Ignacio: Land deal not anomalous, presented to OWWA board
Former Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA) administrator Arnel Ignacio on Friday denied that there was anything anomalous in the P1.4-billion land deal the agency entered into during his watch. According to a 24 Oras report by Mariz Umali on Friday, Ignacio also denied that he made money from the transaction. Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac earlier this week said Ignacio was replaced as OWWA administrator because of the questioned land purchase. 'Ito po ay dinala namin sa board bilang report ng OWWA, at binusisi ng ilang technical working group na binuo din ng ating chairman Secretary Hans Cacdac na kaibigan ko… Walang nakitang iniliban na hakbang,' he said. (This was brought to the board as an OWWA report, and it was thoroughly inspected by several technical working groups that were made by our chairman Secretary Hans Cacdac, who is my friend… They didn't see any steps we've skipped.) 'Lahat ng mga requirements sinunod at sinabing maayos ang aming pagkakasunod sa RA 10752… kKaya ako gulat na gulat na tinawag itong anomalous deal,' he added. (All the requirements were followed and were deemed to have followed RA 10752… which is why I was very surprised that this was called an anomalous deal.) Ignacio was pertaining to a 6,499-square meter plot of land near the Ninoy Aquino Terminal 1, which OWWA procured to become a halfway house for migrant workers. 'Napakabigat. Pagkatapos, napakaraming alegasyon sa akin. Saan nanggaling? Sa isang papel na walang nakapirma? Na andami daming sinabi na kinita ko? Pati nga yung numero, di na nga magkasundo kung magkano. Wala po akong kinita dito,' Ignacio continued. (It feels really heavy. There are also so many allegations made against me. Where did this come from? From a paper with no signature? That said I had a lot to gain from this? Even with the numbers, they couldn't agree on how much it was. I didn't earn anything from this.) He said the Land Bank of the Philippines was the institution that came up with the amount that OWWA paid for the land. 'As our government financial institution, it's the LandBank who assessed the value, and it is exactly the amount that OWWA paid. At sana man lang, binigyan ako ng pagkakataong makausap. Nagulat na nga lang po ako na isang araw, pinatawag ako na ako ay papalitan… 'Yun po ang nangyari dito, di ko po ito itinago. Ito pong ganitong kagandang transaksyon, bakit namin itatago ito?' Ignacio said. (As our government financial institution, it's the LandBank that assessed the value, and it is exactly the amount that OWWA paid. I had hoped I at least would have been given a chance to explain. I was shocked that I was suddenly called one day to be replaced… That's what happened here, and I will not hide it. This was such a good transaction, so why would we hide it?) Ignacio said he hoped OWWA would still use the procured land for its intended beneficiaries. –Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
21-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
OWWA exec sacked over 'anomalous' land acquisition deal — Palace
Malacañang said Wednesday that Overseas Workers Welfare Administration deputy administrator Emma Sinclair was also removed from her post over the alleged anomalous land acquisition deal entered into by former OWWA administration Arnell Ignacio. This was disclosed by Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro during a press briefing. Castro said Sinclair was sacked from her post due to loss of trust and confidence in relation to the P1.4 billion land acquisition deal. ''Maliban po diyan, mayroon pa pong isa na makakasama, ang deputy [administrator] na si Emma Sinclair, pareho po silang tinanggal. Hindi po sila pinagresign,'' Castro said. (Aside from [Arnell Ignacio], there is another one, Deputy Administrator Emma Sinclair. Both were fired, they were not asked to resign.) Castro said this should serve as a warning to all public servants that they will all be fired if they do not fulfill their duties to the public. Ignacio earlier said he will speak at the proper forum. GMA News Online has reached out to Sinclair for her side but she has yet to reply as of posting time. The Department of Migrant Workers earlier said it is gathering more information about the anomalous deal, which was supposedly not authorized by the OWWA board, before filing appropriate cases against those involved. The P1.4-billion land purchase deal under Ignacio's leadership was supposed to be for a halfway house or dormitory-type accommodation of overseas Filipino workers to be located near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, OWWA administrator Patricia Yvonne "PJ" Caunan. The DMW is still reviewing whether the project should push through or not, Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
