Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulrauf A. Macacua (seated, center) meets with senior officials of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education-BARMM on Wednesday at the regional capitol in Cotabato City. The closed-door dialogue focused on restoring public trust and addressing the serious financial irregularities now confronting the ministry. (Image: John Unson)
COTABATO CITY, Philippines โ Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulrauf A. Macacua has assumed direct control of the regionโs education ministry after a government audit uncovered the apparent misuse of 2.2 billion pesos โ roughly $38 million โ in public funds, much of it allegedly disbursed in a frantic burst over just days last year.
The takeover, effective Wednesday, marks the latest sign of turbulence in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the countryโs only Muslim-majority autonomous region, where efforts to build functional governance institutions after decades of conflict continue to face serious tests of accountability and public trust.
Senior officials across BARMM ministries confirmed on Thursday that Mr. Macacua, who also serves as head of the regionโs 80-seat parliament, had stepped in as temporary caretaker of the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education after its minister, Muhaquer M. Iqbal, refused a request to resign.
The move followed a damning report from the Commission on Audit (COA) that flagged highly irregular financial transactions. State auditors, assisted by Philippine Navy Marines and police, seized budget and finance records from the ministryโs offices in Cotabato City last month. The records reportedly showed that certain signatories had facilitated massive disbursements within a single week.
โWe just want to fix everything in the operation of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education, nothing more,โ Mr. Macacua told reporters on Thursday, framing the intervention as a necessary step to restore confidence in one of the regionโs most critical institutions.
The education ministry oversees basic education, higher education, technical training, madrasah schools, indigenous peoplesโ education, and sports programs across provinces including Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte and del Sur, Basilan, and Sulu. Its sprawling network of offices makes the alleged irregularities particularly damaging to the regionโs development goals.
A parallel move in health
In a contrasting decision announced the same day, Mr. Macacua moved to stabilize another key ministry by extending the tenure of Kadil M. Sinolinding Jr., a physician and ophthalmologist, as regional health minister. Dr. Sinolinding, who trained in India, has led the Ministry of Health since earlier in the administration.
Mr. Macacua cited Dr. Sinolindingโs strong performance and the โtrust and confidenceโ he enjoys from regional leadership. Local executives, including Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal A. Adiong Jr., Basilan Gov. Mujiv S. Hataman, and the mayors of Cotabato City and Lamitan City, welcomed the retention, according to statements shared with reporters.
The dual announcements โ one a decisive intervention in education, the other a vote of confidence in health โ appear designed to signal that the Chief Minister is prepared to act firmly where problems arise while rewarding competence elsewhere.
The education ministry controversy has drawn particular attention because BARMM, established in 2019 as part of a peace agreement with former Moro rebels, is under intense scrutiny both in Manila and internationally. Its success is seen as a test of whether genuine autonomy and effective governance can take root in a region long plagued by poverty, insurgency, and weak institutions.
Mr. Macacua met with senior education officials, including directors for higher education, technical skills, madrasah education, basic education, and indigenous peoplesโ programs, to explain his intention of โrestoring public trust.โ
Whether the intervention will lead to accountability for the missing funds or simply stabilize operations remains to be seen. Lawyers and auditors are continuing their review of the transactions, and the episode has already fueled calls for stronger oversight mechanisms in the young regional government.
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