COTABATO CITY - Bangsamoro lawmakers uncovered a string of alleged irregularities, including a "slot-for-sale" scheme and the prolonged non-appointment of 30,000 workers, during a joint oversight hearing into the region's education ministry.
The hearing, conducted by the Committee on Basic, Higher and Technical Education and the Committee on Finance, Budget and Management, focused on the tenure of former Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) Minister Mohagher Iqbal.
Lawmakers scrutinized lingering issues raised in previous budget deliberations, findings from the Education Commission II, and the latest report from the Commission on Audit.
During the deliberations, members of parliament zeroed in on allegations that teaching positions were sold for as much as P300,000 pesos each.
Lawmakers said the practice contributed to more than 10,000 permanent positions remaining vacant, despite rising student enrollment across the Bangsamoro region.
The inquiry also revealed that approximately 30,000 teachers and administrative staff have lacked permanent appointments for years.
Lawmakers questioned why the appointments remained pending despite prior oversight hearings, noting that the delays have disrupted personnel management and weakened education delivery.
Other irregularities raised during the marathon hearing included years of delayed and unremitted Government Service Insurance System contributions, instances of two individuals allegedly receiving salaries under a single position, and a seven-year backlog in migrating personnel from the old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao structure to the current Bangsamoro bureaucracy.
Tensions escalated as holdover officials from the previous administration struggled to address the findings, drawing sharp rebukes from members of parliament.
"We have been discussing this since last year, and you still have not fixed it," Member of Parliament Khalid Hadji Abdullah said.
Member of Parliament Datu Michael Midtimbang challenged the resource persons directly, saying, "If you cannot do it, resign."
Deputy Speaker Baintan Ampatuan characterized the seven-year migration delay as "gross negligence," noting that a one-year delay is already grounds for a case.
Other lawmakers, including MPs Ma-arouph Candao and Zul Bayam, criticized the impact of the alleged corruption on the region's educational status, with Bayam asking officials if they operated like a "mafia."
The hearing comes amid an ongoing transition under Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, who has assumed direct supervision of the education ministry.
Parliament lawmakers and the Macacua administration pledged to pursue accountability, implement structural reforms, and restore public trust in the regional education system.
