WHEREAS, it has been observed that the Municipality of Luuk, province of Sulu, covers a vast land area wherein the present local officials can hardly cope with the maintenance of peace and order and the economic development of the municipality;

WHEREAS, it is necessary to accelerate the economic development of said municipality and to make it responsive to the present drive on peace and order under the New Society; and

WHEREAS, to attain these goals, it is necessary to divide the present Municipality of Luuk into two (2) distinct municipalities;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree:

SECTION 1. The Barangays of Kulihon, Tongol, Pangdan, Pang, Kan Lagay, Niog Niog, Mangal Mangal, Kambing, Karungdong. Pitogo, Gimbaon, Sucuban, Tigbas, Liyansitan, Kambusi and Niyangkaan, all in the Municipality of Luuk, Province of Sulu, are hereby separated from said municipality to form and constitute into a distinct and independent Municipality of Kalingalan Caluang without affecting in any manner the legal existence of the mother Municipality of Luuk.

SEC. 2. The seat of Government of the newly created municipality shall be in Barangay Karungdong.

SEC. 3. in case of conflict as to the boundary of these two municipalities, the dividing line running from west to east shall be the national read from Barangay Tayuman to Barangay Kan-muni. All sitios and barangays north of the national read shall belong to the Municipality of Luuk and all sitios and barangays south of the said national read to the Municipality of Kalingalan Caluang: Provided, however, that the entire land area of Barangay Tigbas shall be included in the newly created municipality.

SEC. 4. Except as herein provided, all provisions of law, now or hereafter applicable to regular municipalities, shall be applicable to the Municipality of Kalingalan Caluang.

SEC. 5. The present officials of the Municipality of Luuc shall, upon the effectivity of this Decree, exercise jurisdiction over the sitios and Barangays not included in the newly created municipality of Kalingalan Caluang.

SEC. 6. All officials of the newly created municipality shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines who shall hold office until their successors shall have been elected in the general elections for local officials unless sooner removed at the pleasure of the President. Such appointive officers and employees as may be necessary to organize or to complete the government personnel of the Municipality of Kalingalan Caluang shall be appointed as provided for under existing laws.

SEC. 7. Upon the effectivity of this Decree, the proportionate share of the new Municipality of Kalingalan Caluang in the obligations, funds, assets and other property of the Municipality of Luuc shall be transferred by the President to the newly created municipality upon the recommendation of the Commission on Audit.

SEC. 8. All laws or parts of laws, as well as executive orders, that are inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 9. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 6th clay of December, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-five.