MALACANANG announced on Monday that initial investigations into the controversial P1.4-billion land deal at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) have found no evidence that the agency’s trust fund was misused.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stated that while a probe was conducted to determine if any portion of the fund, dedicated solely to the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), was used in the land acquisition, initial findings indicate that it remained untouched.
“Based on the initial investigation, the OWWA trust fund was not affected,” Castro said during a Palace press briefing. “There was a probe to see if any part of it was used but initial findings show that none of it was touched.”
The OWWA Fund, governed by Republic Act No. 10801 (the OWWA Act), is a private trust fund strictly regulated for use in core OWWA programs and services for member-OFWs and their families. The law explicitly prohibits its use to supplement the budgets of other government agencies.
The P1.4-billion land deal, intended for an OFW dormitory near NAIA Terminal 1, is currently under investigation by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) following the removal of OWWA Administrator Arnell Ignacio due to “loss of trust and confidence.”
The DMW investigation will also explore the potential involvement of other OWWA officials in the transaction. Malacañang assures that appropriate action will be taken against any officials found to be implicated.
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