ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Mindanao devider Macacua defends decision vs Iqbal

Macacua defends decision vs Iqbal

Published May 19, 2026 01:58 pm
MILF leaders Mohagher Iqbal, Murad Ebrahim, and Abdulraof Macacua. (UBJP)
MILF leaders Mohagher Iqbal, Murad Ebrahim, and Abdulraof Macacua. (UBJP)
DAVAO CITY – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua defied the appeal of Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim to hold the removal of Ministry of Basic Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) chief Mohagher Iqbal.
Macacua insisted that as the interim chief minister of the Bangsamoro government, he has the power to remove any official within the regional government.
“Removing somebody here in BARMM, particularly the ministries, even the newly installed MILG, Von Al-Haq, as MAFAR, and MENRE Brahim, even if they don’t have any case, they can be removed. That’s my prerogative,” he said in an interview with the media in Cotabato City.
This latest controversy in BARMM stemmed from the report of the Commission on Audit (COA) against MBHTE that exposed over ₱2.2 billion in alleged questionable procurement transactions.
Macacua issued a letter dated May 11 directing Iqbal to “resign as minister of Basic Higher and Technical Education or be deemed resigned by May 18” amid the ongoing investigation.
But Ebrahim wrote Macacua on May 17 and appealed to hold the removal of Iqbal as the move should first undergo mandatory consultation with the MILF as the lead organization in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and pursuant to Article XVI, Section 2 of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
Iqbal told Macacua that he will not step down from the MBHTE.
“I respectfully decline to resign at this time, and I wish to place on record that I do not consent to any interpretation of my silence or of any future action as constituting a constructive or deemed resignation,” Iqbal said in his response letter on May 16.
Resignation in the middle of this COA audit, the MBHTE chief added, can be construed as an admission of guilt, or an abandonment of duty.
Iqbal is the first vice chairman of the MILF and the chief of the peace negotiating panel.
Macacua claimed on Monday afternoon that Iqbal has reportedly relayed through his emissary that he is ready to be removed from MBHTE.
He issued another letter on May 18 ordering Iqbal to formally turn over pertinent documents from the education ministry to the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM).
Macacua also directed Iqbal to personally turnover MBHTE to the interim chief minister on Tuesday, May 19, at the Badjao Conference Hall inside the OCM.
The turnover has yet to take place as of posting time as Iqbal is reportedly out of the country.
Macacua denied rumors that he might be removed from the MILF due to his actions against Iqbal.
He said that he can be removed as chief of the MILF’s armed wing Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces but not as an MILF member.
“Being a member of MILF, never. I will fight it out,” Macacua said.

Related Tags

MILF Mohagher Iqbal BARMM MBHTE Abdulrauf Macacua
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.