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8September
Bangsamoro Education Minister Iqbal rejects calls for leave amid P2.2B special audit, citing 'demolition job'
- Sep 8, 2025
- Taher G. Solaiman
- HITS: 583
Iqbal, who also serves as a member of the Bangsamoro Parliament, told reporters on Saturday that taking a leave is "not an option" and that he would "not file a leave." He once again dismissed the allegations as a "demolition job" by his critics, referring to the reports as a "demolition operation."
The COA special audit was triggered by two formal complaints, one of which alleges that the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) disbursed nearly P1.8 billion in a single day, allegedly bypassing the finance division. The other complaint concerns a P449 million payment to a single supplier under what COA Chairman Gamaliel Cordoba's letter to BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua described as "questionable circumstances."
The audit team arrived in Cotabato City on Friday to collect documents at the MBHTE office, escorted by a heavy security detail of Marines and police. Iqbal called the security presence a "psywar ops" by those behind the move, though he did not identify them. Police Regional Office in the BARMM spokesperson Lt. Col. Jopy Ventura defended the deployment, stating that the forces were there to ensure the safety of the auditors.
The call for Iqbal's leave came from lawyer Rasol Mitmug, chair of the Bangsamoro Parliament's Blue Ribbon Committee, which is also conducting its own investigation into the matter. Mitmug had urged Iqbal to take an "indefinite leave of absence" to ensure the integrity of the COA investigation and prevent any "influence or obstruction."
Mitmug said he had initially been told by Iqbal that he would "consider the advice." However, Iqbal later clarified that a leave was "not an option."
The Blue Ribbon Committee took jurisdiction over the case on its own initiative to ensure accountability within the BARMM, a region founded on the principle of "moral governance" as articulated by MILF Chair and former Chief Minister Ahod "Al Haj Murad" Ebrahim. The MBHTE is scheduled to submit the requested documents to the committee on September 10.
MBHTE Director-General Abdullah "Jun" Salik said the ministry cooperated fully and handed over the documents smoothly but expressed shock at the "overkill" security presence. He described the number of police and Marines as "shocking and alarming."
Iqbal, who was in Manila on Friday for his roles as MILF peace implementing panel chair and co-chair of the GPH-MILF Intergovernmental Relations Body, maintains that the allegations are baseless. He previously stated on June 10 that all transactions undergo "strict internal and external controls" and are transparently subjected to COA post-audit.
Time in Cotabato
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