Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 7) — The government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is investigating reports that plantilla positions for public school teachers are being sold for ₱300,000.
The autonomous region’s Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal has created a special panel to probe the claims, which he said have been circulating again after his ministry’s latest batch of mass hiring of teaching personnel.
He added that some of those who did not make the cut have lamented an allegedly anomalous hiring process that involves bribery and sale of plantilla items.
“Hindi po namin sinasabi na wala ito. Hindi rin naman namin sinasabi na meron ito…Pero ang sinisigurado po namin sa inyo ay bibigyan po namin ng ngipin ‘yung special committee na suriin po at hanapin ang katotohanan within and outside the ministry,” Iqbal said in a video message released on Friday.
“Hindi natin pwedeng balewalain ‘yan. Kailangan tignan parin natin ‘yan kasi paulit-ulit ito,” the official added, as he maintained that his ministry is “very competitive” in weeding out applicants.
[Translation: We’re not saying these claims are or aren’t true. But what we can assure you is we will put teeth into the special committee that will search for the truth within and outside the ministry…We cannot just ignore these allegations, which have been made repeatedly.]
In a statement, the BARMM government also said Iqbal has urged the public to provide concrete evidence to help in the investigation, “discouraging the use of social media for such matters.”
