Koror State’s House of Traditional Leaders (HOTL) has resumed its regular operations after Bilung Gloria Salii yielded to the traditional chiefs’ demand to have their meeting house (Bai) and properties returned.
According to sources with knowledge of the matter, a threat of a lawsuit by Koror State’s traditional chiefs (Ngarameketii and Rubekulkldeu) against the head matriarch of Idid Clan, Bilung Gloria Salii, had her capitulating from previous claims that she was the bearer of the title Ibedul and as such, controlled HOTL and call the meetings of the Koror State traditional chiefs.
Sources also say that, with respect, after she capitulated, the chiefs decided not to file their case in court.
The Koror chief matriarch had earlier taken over the HOTL office, staff, and operations claiming that she now bears the title of Ibedul and as the head of the traditional chiefs in Koror, she dictates the operations of HOTL.
The HOTL in their letters to Bilung Gloria Salii and Governor Eyos Rudimch, reiterated that according to traditional law and custom, the chiefs have the right to approve their own members and the HOTL has not accepted anyone as the new Ibedul and the position remains vacant. As such, the second high chief of Koror Ngiraikelau Francisco Gibbons, according to tradition and custom, is the head of Ngarameketii and HOTL.
All operations of HOTL fall under the authority of Ngiraikelau until a new Ibedul is accepted into the HOTL.
On January 26, 2022, Governor Eyos Rudich informed Bilung Gloria Salii that the State government cannot fulfill her request to have the honorarium for Ibedul issued to her as the Ibedul title bearer. “I regret that I will no longer be processing honorariums for the seat of Ibedul until I have received official communication from the House of Traditional Leaders stating that they have accepted and seated a person to fill the seat of Ibedul,” stated Governor Rudimch.
Calm returns to HOTL as it resumes its regular operations.