logo
OWWA exec sacked over 'anomalous' land acquisition deal — Palace

OWWA exec sacked over 'anomalous' land acquisition deal — Palace

GMA Network21-05-2025

Malacañang said Wednesday that Overseas Workers Welfare Administration deputy administrator Emma Sinclair was also removed from her post over the alleged anomalous land acquisition deal entered into by former OWWA administration Arnell Ignacio.
This was disclosed by Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro during a press briefing.
Castro said Sinclair was sacked from her post due to loss of trust and confidence in relation to the P1.4 billion land acquisition deal.
''Maliban po diyan, mayroon pa pong isa na makakasama, ang deputy [administrator] na si Emma Sinclair, pareho po silang tinanggal. Hindi po sila pinagresign,'' Castro said.
(Aside from [Arnell Ignacio], there is another one, Deputy Administrator Emma Sinclair. Both were fired, they were not asked to resign.)
Castro said this should serve as a warning to all public servants that they will all be fired if they do not fulfill their duties to the public.
Ignacio earlier said he will speak at the proper forum. GMA News Online has reached out to Sinclair for her side but she has yet to reply as of posting time.
The Department of Migrant Workers earlier said it is gathering more information about the anomalous deal, which was supposedly not authorized by the OWWA board, before filing appropriate cases against those involved.
The P1.4-billion land purchase deal under Ignacio's leadership was supposed to be for a halfway house or dormitory-type accommodation of overseas Filipino workers to be located near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, OWWA administrator Patricia Yvonne "PJ" Caunan.
The DMW is still reviewing whether the project should push through or not, Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Marcos: OFWs deserve 'full support'
Marcos: OFWs deserve 'full support'

GMA Network

time4 hours ago

  • GMA Network

Marcos: OFWs deserve 'full support'

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Saturday that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) should receive "full support" from the government as he provided updates on initiatives aimed at improving their welfare. In his speech to the Filipino community in Osaka, Japan, Marcos stated that the government is making sure that opportunities are available to OFWs who choose to retire in the Philippines. ''Hangad din namin maging maayos ang inyong pagdating at pag-alis sa ating bansa. Kaya naman naglaan tayo ng OFW Lounge sa airport para may lugar kung saan puwedeng magpahinga,'' he said. ''Masigasig din ang ating pakikipag-ugnayan sa iba't ibang bansang tumatanggap ng ating manggagawa para makabuo ng bilateral labor agreement upang matiyak natin na ligtas at makatao ang trabaho, at nabibigyan ng pagkakataong umunlad ang ating mga kababayan.'' (We also want your arrival and departure from our country to be smooth. That is why we have provided an OFW Lounge at the airport so that you can have a place to rest. We are also actively engaging with various countries that receive our workers to craft bilateral labor agreements so that we can ensure that work is safe and humane and that our compatriots are given the opportunity to succeed.) Marcos also recognized the sacrifices of OFWs to provide for their families in the Philippines. ''And that is why we will never tire of honoring you and finding ways to improve your lives. You are at the heart of our government's efforts, and you deserve not only our gratitude but also our full support,'' he said. Filipinos in Japan can also play a role in building "even stronger connections in shared values for a mutually stable, secure, and prosperous relationship between our two countries," the President said. 'This is why I hope you will join me and the Philippine nation in helping our community here in Japan to grow even more in love with the Philippines, to learn and embrace fully your Filipino identity, and to support our nation's aspirations for unity, for peace, and for prosperity,' he said. Marcos is in Japan for a working visit, which includes meetings with local businessmen and a visit to the Philippine Pavilion at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka. He is expected to return to the Philippines on Sunday. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News

Filipinos hurt amid Israel-Iran conflict now 7; five already discharged —DFA
Filipinos hurt amid Israel-Iran conflict now 7; five already discharged —DFA

GMA Network

time14 hours ago

  • GMA Network

Filipinos hurt amid Israel-Iran conflict now 7; five already discharged —DFA

The number of Filipinos injured amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran is currently at seven, five of whom were already discharged from the hospital, Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said Saturday. "May pito na throughout the past several days, nadala sa ospital. Sa pito na iyon, lima na na-discharged na. Pero may dalawa na nasa ospital pa. 'Yung isa kasi binagsakan ng bubong noong tinamaan ng missile," De Vega said in an interview on Dobol B TV. (There have been seven throughout the past several days that were taken to the hospital. Of those seven, five have been discharged. But there are two still in the hospital. The roof fell on one of them when it was hit by a missile.) De Vega reported that the one previously reported as critical had already undergone surgery. Further, the number of Filipinos losing their homes is increasing. "Ang maganda diyan, hindi nadadagdagan [ang injuries]. Ang nadagdagan, 'yung number ng Filipinos na kailangan i-shelter na, nawawalan ng bahay, mga 67 na, dati 49." (The good thing about that is that [the injuries] are not rising. What has increased is the number of Filipinos who need shelter, who are losing their homes, now about 67, previously 49.) A drone photo shows the damage over residential homes at the impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 16, 2025. REUTERS/ Moshe Mizrahi Repatriation He said more Filipinos have expressed their intent to return to the Philippines following the war between the two countries. "One hundred seventy eight (178) and rising," he said, adding that the first batch of 26 Filipinos are expected to come home this weekend. Filipinos could exit Israel by crossing its border into Jordan since flight operations are currently suspended. However, De Vega said some overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) remain hesitant to go back to the Philippines and asked for assurance that they could still return to Israel after the tensions. "Ang problema po, kakaunti lang talaga ang gustong umuwi dahil ang number one tinatanong nila, 'Kung uuwi kami, makakabalik ba kami?' Hindi namin maga-guarantee 'yan, kasi kailan matatapos ang gulo?" (The problem is, very few OFWs want to go home because the number one question they ask is, 'If we go home, will we be able to come back?' We cannot guarantee that, because we do not know when the conflict will end.) Iran and Israel exchanged fresh attacks early Saturday, a day after Tehran said it would not negotiate over its nuclear program while under threat and Europe tried to keep peace talks alive, Reuters reported. —KG, GMA Integrated News

Marcos wants Filipinos to remember 'change for better' under his term
Marcos wants Filipinos to remember 'change for better' under his term

GMA Network

time15 hours ago

  • GMA Network

Marcos wants Filipinos to remember 'change for better' under his term

When his term of office finally comes to a close, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. wants his administration to be remembered as one that had an impact in improving the lives of Filipinos. In an interview on the BBM Podcast released Saturday, Marcos spoke about the need to make "tangible changes" for his countrymen under his watch. Asked about how he wants to be remembered, Marcos said: "We made a change for the better. This has been my guide in all the positions I've taken." "So, I absolutely insist that in 2028, when I leave this office, there are significant and tangible changes for the better in the life of each Filipino," Marcos said. Marcos is set to deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) before Congress on July 28 at the halfway point of his six-year term. The SONA has been a platform for presidents to highlight past accomplishments, and to rally support from Congress to pass priority pieces of legislation. Marcos' fourth SONA will be held just two months after the 2025 midterm national and local elections. The President has expressed dismay with the poll results, saying these showed that Filipinos have grown tired of politics and that they do not feel government services. Promptly after making the pronouncement, Marcos ordered the courtesy resignation of Cabinet secretaries to "realign" his administration "with people's expectations." This led changes at the helm of multiple government agencies, with Malacañang saying officials under the Marcos administration will undergo periodic reviews. "The worst thing that can happen is umupo ka doon sa posisyon mo, na nagsilbi ka, umalis ka, walang pinagbago," Marcos said. (The worst thing that can happen is you took on your post, you served, you left, and nothing changed.) West PH Sea Marcos was also asked how he would like to be remembered with regard to the territorial dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea. He said, "We did not yield. We continue to protect the sovereignty of the Republic. We continue to defend the territory of the Republic. And we continue to protect and defend the people of the Republic." Retired Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio, a vocal advocate of the Philippines' sovereignty, has described the issue as an "intergenerational struggle for Filipinos." Marcos has taken a stronger stance against China compared to his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte. His administration has sought to forge stronger military alliances with key allies, but this has not deterred China from taking aggressive actions against Philippine vessels in the contested waters. "Hindi naman tayo nakikipag-away. Pero huwag niyong binabangga 'yung mga mangingisda, hindi ba? Huwag niyo kaming hinaharang doon sa teritoryo namin. Iyon ipaglalaban talaga namin 'yan," Marcos said. (We are not picking a fight, but don't ram the boats of our fishermen. Don't block us in our territory. We will really assert our rights with these things.) "Because kung ibigay mo 'yan, bibigay mo ng– (Because of you give that,) like they say: You give them an inch, they will take a mile. So, you cannot allow it even the one inch," the President said. Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Its territorial claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. Manila refers parts of the waters within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea. In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled that China's claims over the South China Sea had no legal basis, a decision Beijing does not recognize. — VDV, GMA Integrated News

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store