THE Commission on Audit has created a special audit team to look into allegations of anomalous disbursements involving more than P2 billion in public funds under the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
COA Chair Gamaliel Cordoba notified BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua that formal complaints have been submitted to the Commission regarding the said fund releases, naming MBHTE Minister Mohagher Iqbal as the respondent.
The Commission said the first transaction pertains to P1,772,251,519.17 released in just one day reportedly “circumventing the Finance Division’s standard review process.”
According to the COA, the sum was broken down into smaller amounts and released through the issuance of checks to various agency personnel, including the cashier.
On the other hand, the second transaction involved the release of P449,236,636.20 “issued to a single supplier under questionable circumstances.”
The COA informed the BARMM that it had already made an initial evaluation of the complaint and the allegations and found a basis to pursue further investigation.
“Following the initial review by the relevant COA offices, the complaints merit the conduct of a special audit. In line with the Commission’s constitutional mandate, we are already in the process of constituting a special audit team to audit the subject transactions,” Cordoba said in his letter to Macacua dated August 11, 2025.
The BARMM Chief Minister was instructed to extend help to the special audit team for the entire duration of the audit until it is completed.
