At a press conference Monday at the BPDA Conference Hall, spokesperson Alex Bacoludan clarified that while the group supports government reform, any structural changes must prioritize accountability and cultural sensitivity.

The opposition centers on BTA Bill No. 47, also known as the Bangsamoro Education Reorganization Act. The measure proposes to split the MBHTE into four distinct agencies: the Ministry of Basic Education (MOBE), the Bangsamoro Commission on Higher Education and Development (B-CHED), the Bangsamoro Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (B-TESDA), and a separate bureau for Madaris. Stakeholders argue this decoupling threatens to isolate Madaris education from the broader Basic Education system—a move they claim contradicts the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). 

"Madaris education is not merely a program; it is a vital component of the Bangsamoro identity," Bacoludan said. He warned that separating it from Basic Education would fragment the curriculum and weaken the quality of instruction provided to Bangsamoro communities.

Rather than creating a structural divide, the group proposed strengthening decentralization to allow local communities more influence over educational implementation.

To demonstrate the scale of the opposition, Bacoludan announced that the group has gathered 26,091 signatures from Islamic Studies and Arabic Language (ISAL) teachers. These signatures will be formally submitted to the Bangsamoro Parliament to urge a reconsideration of the bill’s long-term impact on students.

The unified stance of these thousands of stakeholders aims to preserve the integration of religious and secular instruction within a single, cohesive Bangsamoro educational framework.