[ PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 225, June 25, 1973 ]

AMENDING SECTION ONE OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 5777, CREATING THE MUNICIPALITY OF TOMAS OPPUS IN THE PROVINCE OF SOUTHERN LEYTE.

WHEREAS, Section 1 of Republic Act No. 5777, entitled "An Act Creating the Municipality of Tomas Oppus in the Province of Southern Leyte," provides that the seat of government thereof shall be in the present site of the barrio of San Isidro;

WHEREAS, the Municipality of Tomas Oppus was formally organized on January 1, 1972, upon the election and qualification of the newly elected municipal officials thereof;

WHEREAS, in view of the non-existence of facilities in Barrio San Isidro to house the different offices of the municipal government of Tomas Oppus and to prevent impairment of essential public services therein, the President authorized the municipal council to occupy temporarily a building in Barrio Banday, said municipality, until such time as a suitable one is available in Barrio San Isidro;

WHEREAS, to date municipal offices of Tomas Oppus are still being held in Barrio Banday due to non-existence of facilities in Barrio San Isidro to house the same;

WHEREAS, pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 134, dated February 21, 1973, the majority of the members of the Citizens' Assemblies of the Municipality of Tomas Oppus petitioned the Department of Local Government and Community Development for the holding of a referendum for the purpose of transferring the seat of municipal government from Barrio San Isidro to Barrio Banday on the ground that from the time the Municipality of Tomas Oppus came into existence the municipal offices thereof have always been in Barrio Banday; and

WHEREAS, in the referendum conducted by the Department of Local Government and Community Development on May 26, 1973, pursuant to said Presidential Decree No. 134, the overwhelming majority of the members of the Citizens' Assemblies of the Municipality of Tomas Oppus voted for the transfer of the seat of the municipal government from Barrio San Isidro to Barrio Banday;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution as Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. 1, dated September 22, 1972, do hereby amend Section 1 of Republic Act No. 5777 to read as follows:

"SECTION 1. That barrios of San Isidro, Punong, Hinapo, Rizal, Maslog, Banday, Cambite, Cabascan, Cawayan, Anahawan, Carnaga, Maanyag, Tinago and Salvacion in the Municipality of Malitbog, Province of Southern Leyte, are separated from said municipality and created into a distinct and independent municipality to be known as the Municipality of Tomas Oppus. The seat of government of the new municipality shall be in Barrio Banday."

Any provision of existing law, rules and regulations in conflict with this Decree are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

This Decree is hereby made part of the law of the land and shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 25th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-three.

			(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS President Republic of the Philippines
	By the President:
	(Sgd.) ROBERTO V. REYES
		Assistant Executive Secretary