Ex-OWWA chief Arnell Ignacio charged with usurpation by Ombudsman amid P1.4-B land deal

The Office of the Ombudsman has indicted former Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Arnaldo “Arnell” Ignacio for Usurpation of Official Functions in connection with OWWA’s ₱1.4-billion property acquisition.

In a news release on Saturday, Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said the DMW received the Ombudsman Resolution on July 7, 2026. The resolution, dated June 19, 2026, found that Ignacio signed the contract to sell, deed of absolute sale, and its addendum, and subsequently approved the disbursement of public funds without authority from the OWWA Board of Trustees.

“The finding of the Ombudsman is to charge the former administrator with usurpation of official functions under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code,” Cacdac said.

The resolution said the former administrator “acted under the pretense of authority from the OWWA Board of Trustees, despite knowing he had no such authority, an act that transcends ‘mere administrative non-compliance and directly constitutes the crime of Usurpation of Official Functions.’”

According to the DMW, “the Ombudsman found that the failure to secure the OWWA Board’s approval was not merely a technical omission. It bypassed the institutional oversight and transparency required under the OWWA Charter and involved performing functions outside the former administrator’s lawful mandate.”

Cacdac said the usurpation of official functions is a criminal offense that may carry a penalty of six months to four years of imprisonment.

The Ombudsman has directed that an Information be filed against Ignacio before the proper court.

On July 10, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it will ask the Office of the Ombudsman to reconsider its ruling dismissing the department’s graft and plunder complaint against Ignacio and others over the P1.4 billion land deal.

During a press briefing, Cacdac said the DMW, will file a Motion for Reconsideration, requesting the Ombudsman to review matters and evidence that the Department believes were not fully addressed in the Resolution.

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

He said the DMW will reiterate and further establish two important elements in its motion: the alleged undue advantage given to the seller and the damage or prejudice caused to the government.

On the first element--alleged undue advantage to the seller, Secretary Cacdac said the property transaction did not undergo the approval and scrutiny of the OWWA Board of Trustees.

“One is hindi dumaan sa Board. Undue haste. Minadali. Hindi dinaan sa OWWA Board,” the Secretary said.

On the second element—damage and prejudice to the government, Cacdac raised the issue of 51 condominium units valued at approximately ₱97 million that were included in the ₱1.4-billion purchase price.

"Titles covering the condominium units were issued in the name of the Republic of the Philippines through OWWA. However, when the current OWWA administration conducted an ocular inspection of the property, the condominium structures were no longer found at the site," the DMW official said.

"The point here is the government paid for condominium units that no longer exist. That is the damage. That is the prejudicial part to the government... the Department is duty-bound to exhaust all available legal remedies to protect public funds, uphold accountability in the use of government resources, and safeguard the welfare funds of our overseas Filipino workers,” he stressed.

Ignacio was removed as OWWA administrator "due to loss of trust and confidence" in May of 2025 in connection with the P1.4-billion land acquisition deal that Cacdac said the OWWA board did not authorize.—RF, GMA News