No order from Bangsamoro chief to file Ombudsman case vs Iqbal

COTABATO CITY — The Bangsamoro Attorney General’s Office (BAGO) has denied that Bangsamoro interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua had filed a complaint against former Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Bangsamoro Attorney General Bantuas M. Lucman said that Macacua did not order the filing of any case against Iqbal before the anti-graft body.

Lucman issued the clarification following reports (not in the Inquirer) linking Macacua to a complaint reportedly set to be filed before the Ombudsman against Iqbal, which, in turn, was allegedly triggered by Macacua’s response to a letter from Iqbal.

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Macacua purportedly ordered the filing of criminal and administrative charges against Iqbal before the Ombudsman in connection with the Commission on Audit (COA) report on a questionable procurement deal for education and training materials amounting to P2.2 billion.

Macacua was quoted in his letter, “Iqbal would have his day in court.”

The chief minister asked Iqbal to resign or be deemed resigned on the last working hours of May 18, over the COA’s audit report in the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE).

Iqbal refused, but Macacua forced his way and assumed the MBHTE post in a concurrent capacity.

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As part of its constitutional mandate, Lucman said the Ombudsman may conduct an independent investigation “motu proprio” (on its own) against any government officials based on information, referrals, and audit findings from the COA.

Lucman confirmed Macacua’s letter to Iqbal regarding a possible independent probe by established institutions and emphasized: “that it is incorrect to interpret the chief minister’s response as the filing of, or an attempt to instigate, a complaint against Iqbal.”

Rather, the letter merely pointed out that if there are matters requiring due process and independent review, there are established institutions, such as the Ombudsman, with the authority and mandate to conduct such proceedings, he added.

“Any inquiry [by the Ombudsman], if any, proceeds independently under the Ombudsman’s constitutional power to investigate motu proprio or upon information/referral, including COA audit findings,” Lucman said in a statement Wednesday night.

In a social media post, Iqbal said Macacua did not order the filing of charges against him before the Ombudsman.

“We respectfully urge everyone to refrain from accusing Chief Minister Macacua of filing a complaint with the Ombudsman regarding the ongoing investigation involving the MBHTE,” Iqbal said.

“Do not follow or propagate information about matters of which you have no knowledge,” he said.

Iqbal is the chief peace negotiator for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in talks with the Philippine government that concluded in 2014 with the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

The CAB is still under implementation./coa