[2] In Memorandum Order 427 (1974), then-Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos declared that Mahakuttah A. Kiram was the legitimate heir and that the government was obligated to support his coronation as Sultan of Sulu, which took place on 24 May 1974.

Mahakutta's Crown Prince Muedzul Lail Kiram, the heir to the throne according to the line of succession as recognised by the Philippine governments from 1915 to 1986, was 20 years old upon his father's death.

Due to his young age, he failed to claim the throne in a time of political instability in the Philippines that led to the peaceful revolution and subsequent removal of President Marcos.

[8] Therefore, the following Sultans were not crowned with the support of the Philippine government nor received a formal recognition from the national government as their predecessors had until 1986.Furthermore, it is crucial to note that Imam Hadji Yahya Caluang, along with his younger brother MNLF Field Marshal Al Hussein Caluang, both sons of Capt.

As a result, Mohammad Mahakuttah Abdullah Kiram did not undergo the Giba ceremony, a traditional ritual in Tausūg culture that affirms a Sultan’s legitimacy.