BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua has officially removed Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal from office following a state audit that uncovered massive irregularities involving approximately ₱2.2 billion in regional education funds.
In a two-page order effective May 19, Macacua terminated Iqbal’s tenure as the head of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE). The decisive move stemmed from the damaging initial findings of a special audit conducted by the Commission on Audit (COA).
The dismissal followed a prior directive issued by the Chief Minister on May 11, which gave Iqbal until May 18 to tender his irrevocable resignation. According to the regional government, Iqbal’s failure to meet that deadline meant his non-compliance would be treated as a voluntary exit, paving the way for his formal ouster.
The COA investigation exposed severe procurement discrepancies, primarily tied to the acquisition of education and training materials valued at around ₱2.2 billion.
Among the specific infractions flagged by state auditors was the MBHTE’s failure to penalize a supplier with over ₱1 million in liquidated damages. The penalty was meant to address a massive 520-day delay in a ₱30.9 million project dedicated to delivering armchairs for primary school students.
Furthermore, state auditors questioned 53 separate contracts worth ₱1.95 billion that were allegedly greenlit despite glaring defects in the bidding and procurement process. The audit also revealed that 73 disbursement vouchers totaling ₱2.24 million were released in full despite bearing incomplete supporting documentation.
Macacua confirmed that the COA has already issued initial notices of disallowance and is slated to hand down additional audit findings in the near future.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the sheer scale and gravity of the anomalies directly undermine the principles of good governance within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, warning that the controversy has severely eroded the public’s trust in the regional administration.