Arnell Ignacio Removed from OWWA After Controversial P1.4-B Land Deal

Former TV host-turned-public official Arnell Ignacio has been officially removed from his position as the head of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). This was confirmed by Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Cacdac, who said Ignacio was ousted due to a serious breach of trust linked to a questionable land acquisition deal.

The controversy centers on a P1.4 billion property purchase meant to provide accommodations for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). However, according to Cacdac, the transaction didn’t go through the proper channels, particularly the OWWA Board of Trustees, which was supposed to give its approval before any deal was finalized.

Cacdac revealed that the board had been left out of key parts of the process on at least six different occasions. He emphasized that the law requires any such deal to be cleared by the board first, and in this case, it wasn’t. “Even I would have told him there was no need for it,” said Cacdac, noting that the private sector could have handled accommodation needs for OFWs more efficiently and at less cost.

The deal was finalized in September 2024, but planning had reportedly started a year earlier in September 2023. Cacdac believes the project was pushed forward without the proper checks and approvals in place, raising concerns about accountability and transparency.

As for Ignacio, he has so far declined to comment, saying he would respond in the appropriate forum. Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been briefed on the issue, and according to Cacdac, legal action is expected to follow.

In the meantime, DMW Undersecretary Patricia Caunan has stepped in to take over Ignacio’s role.