The Department of Migrant Workers said it is now reviewing the potential involvement of other personnel of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in the controversial P1.4-billion land acquisition deal.
“What we are assessing is who is involved here, in the decision to not consult the Board and proceed with this transaction with aspects that we need to further analyze,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said in an interview with GMA News.
The questionable land deal led to the replacement of former OWWA administrator Arnell Ignacio.
The purchase, intended for a dormitory for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), allegedly bypassed the OWWA Board of Trustees in at least six instances, raising legal and transparency concerns.
Cacdac said the board was sidelined in favor of a separate internal committee that made decisions without proper consultation.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said no other officials have been formally sanctioned so far, but disciplinary actions may follow pending the results of the ongoing probe.
She added that the OWWA trust fund appears unaffected by the deal, though financial sources are still under review.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier appointed Migrant Workers Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan as the new OWWA administrator.
Both the DMW and the Palace assured the public that the transaction is being thoroughly reviewed for any administrative and legal violations, with accountability measures to follow as warranted.