COTABATO CITY — Bangsamoro lawmakers are investigating nearly P4.9 billion in MBHTE funds that the ministry reportedly held in a separate bank account instead of remitting to the Bangsamoro Treasury, raising concerns about financial management and employee benefits.
The Parliament's Committee on Finance, Budget and Management and the Committee on Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) held a joint hearing on June 19 to address the issue.
Deputy Floor Leader Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo said lawmakers discovered the account during last year's budget deliberations. They found that the ministry deposited unreverted government funds into a current account instead of remitting them to the Bangsamoro Treasury as required by financial procedures.
Documents presented during the hearing showed that unreverted funds from 2023 to 2025 reached about P4.9 billion.
Lawmakers also examined the reported non-remittance of around P415 million in Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) contributions, an issue that could affect about 10,000 teachers and administrative personnel under MBHTE.
Members of Parliament expressed concern that the delayed remittances may impact employees' benefits and other government transactions.
The delayed GSIS contributions have sparked significant concern among the regional workforce, as these lapses directly impact the accessibility of loans, retirement benefits, and insurance coverage for thousands of educators. For a detailed look at the legislative push to resolve these concerns, read our coverage on how the BTA grills MBHTE over teacher, GSIS delays. As the joint committees continue their inquiry, lawmakers have emphasized that correcting these remittance failures is a top priority to restore administrative order within the ministry.
MBHTE officials told the committees that they have already returned much of the unreverted amount to government accounts.
The ministry reported that P1.5 billion remains unreverted this year, while it transferred the rest back earlier.
The joint committees plan to continue their inquiry and may recommend measures to tighten financial controls and ensure the proper handling of employee contributions and benefits.
Meanwhile, former MBHTE Minister Mohagher Iqbal described his removal from the ministry as "more a blessing than a setback" in a recent Facebook post. He expressed relief at leaving an environment where he says people judge others before proving wrongdoing and treat long-time comrades as enemies.
