Raps poised vs OWWA chief over ‘fund misuse’

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) chief Wilhelm Soriano is facing administrative charges and possible dismissal from public service due to alleged misuse of government funds.

Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas said yesterday her department is now readying charges in connection with the reported misuse of multibillion-peso OWWA funds.

Sto. Tomas said a committee headed by Undersecretary Arturo Brion is expected to complete its investigation and that charges will be filed soon after sufficient evidence is gathered.

"We are expecting the investigation to be finished very soon," she said. She declined to reveal what charges will be filed against Soriano.

Sto. Tomas, however, said appropriate charges will be submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission.

Earlier, Sto. Tomas asked the Commission on Audit to look into the reported involvement of Soriano in the release of OWWA funds without the approval of the board.

She said OWWA invested P100 million in February 1995 and another P500 million in December of the same year in participation certificates in the Smokey Mountain low-cost housing project in Tondo, Manila.

She said OWWA’s investment in the project has grown to P1.021 billion over the years but the agency cannot liquidate the funds now.

For his part, Soriano said he welcomes the investigation which he is optimistic will eventually clear him of the charges.

As this developed, Migrante International called on Congress to take the necessary action to weed out "corrupt" officials of DOLE and OWWA.

Migrante secretary-general Poe Gratela said the committees on labor of both houses of Congress should conduct a separate probe into the reported illegal misuse of OWWA funds.

Gratela cited the need to enact measures to ensure that OWWA funds are used for the benefit and welfare of overseas workers.