Manila, July 30 -- Criminal charges have been filed by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) against former high-ranking officials of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) over a questionable PHP1.4-billion land deal.

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac on Tuesday said the charges were filed before the Office of the Ombudsman.

"We filed a case before the office of the Ombudsman against the former administrator and two former deputies administrator of the OWWA in relation to deliberate bypassing of the OWWA Board of Trustees under highly questionable circumstances that amount to violations of various laws, most notably the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act," he said in a media briefing.

Cacdac said the deal viola...