By: Ellson Quismorio
Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong has raised serious concerns over alleged corruption involving around P100 million in funds from the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). In a privilege speech on January 28-29, Adiong revealed reports that over 400 barangay officials in Lanao del Sur discovered large sums of money, ranging from P500,000 to P2.5 million, in their Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) accounts.
According to Adiong, BARMM OCM officers instructed the officials to withdraw most of the funds and leave only P200,000 behind. The money was reportedly intended for "special operations," but the officials were unable to clarify its purpose.
Adiong expressed alarm over the situation, stressing that it undermines principles of good governance and accountability. Adiong suspects the funds may have originated from the local government support fund, which totals P6.3 billion under the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act. He pointed out that the release and use of such funds must comply with specific guidelines set by the Bangsamoro Budget Circular 10 and DBM Local Budget Circular 155. He criticized the lack of adherence to these guidelines, particularly regarding the absence of formal requests or implementation plans for disbursements. Adiong called for reforms to safeguard public funds, strengthen accountability, and restore public trust in the government’s ability to serve the people effectively and fairly.
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