Ombudsman welcomes DMW’s bid to appeal Ignacio’s junked plunder case

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday said they welcome the Department of Migrant Workers’ (DMW) seeking to appeal the dismissed plunder, graft, and malversation of public funds complaint against former Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Arnaldo A. “Arnell” Ignacio.

DMW chief Hans Cacdac said the antigraft body has dismissed the cases against Ignacio, former OWWA officials and the private sellers who were involved in alleged anomalies in a P1.4 billion worth of property acquisition.

“What we plan to do is to file a Motion for Reconsideration (MR) because, in our view, the Resolution did not pass upon details that we submitted to the honorable Office of the Ombudsman,” Cacdac said in a statement over the weekend.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Let sacking of Ignacio be a warning, says Palace

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

The Ombudsman, in a statement on Thursday, said: “The Office of the Ombudsman welcomes the Department of Migrant Workers’ planned filing of a motion for reconsideration in connection with the dismissal of the complaints of plunder, malversation of public funds, and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against former Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Arnaldo ‘Arnell’ Ignacio.”

The DMW has 10 days to file their MR upon receipt of the Ombudsman resolution.

READ: Graft raps filed vs. ex-OWWA exec Ignacio, other former officials

Cacdac said the MR will emphasize that documentary evidence reveals that two Landbank checks amounting to P1.4 billion were already issued to the Seller on August 30, 2024, or 12 days prior to the Deed of Absolute Sale dated September 12, 2024.

Article continues after this advertisement

“There were checks issued to the seller about 12 or almost two weeks before the signing of the absolute deed of sale,” he said. “The seller already accepted payments before the signing of the deed of sale. We wish for the honorable Office of the Ombudsman to take a second look at this item,” Secretary Cacdac said.

The DMW will also seek a review of the alleged non-existence of the 51 condominium units worth P97 million that were included in the sale and purchase price.

Article continues after this advertisement

Titles covering the condominium units were issued in the name of the Republic of the Philippines through OWWA, but when the current administration conducted an ocular inspection of the property, the condominium structures were no longer found at the site. Instead, photographs showed a cleared area and a backhoe, indicating that demolition had apparently taken place.

“The government paid for condominium units that no longer exist. That is the damage. That is the prejudicial aspect of this anomalous transaction,” Cacdac said.

While it dismissed the other criminal cases, the Office of the Ombudsman has indicted Ignacio for usurpation of official functions under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to the said property acquisition.

According to the July 7 Ombudsman resolution cited by Cacdac, Ignacio acted under the pretense of authority from the OWWA Board of Trustees, despite having no such authority, which is no longer a “mere administrative non-compliance” but already “constitutes the crime of usurpation of official functions.”

Usurpation of official functions is a criminal offense that may carry a penalty of six months to four years of imprisonment.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

In 2025, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sacked Ignacio, first appointed as OWWA chief in 2022, from office due to this land acquisition deal. /cb