Ibedul succession dispute

[1] Gibbons had worked as a United States Army cook before becoming ibedul in 1973 and ran for president in the 1984, 1988, and 1996 Palauan general elections.

[4][6] In December 2021, Bilung Salii stated that she had assumed the duties and responsibilities of ibedul and claimed she should be receiving a monthly honorarium.

[5] She wrote a letter to the governor of Koror Ngiraikelau Franco Gibbons requesting that the monthly honorarium of ibedul be issued to her name.

[7] Rudimch stated that he had "no say on the matters of [the] Idid clan or its chiefs" but since the issue relates to the law, he has to conduct a legal review.

[7] On January 26, 2022, Rudich informed Salii that the state government could not process her request for the honorarium until the House of Traditional Leaders accepted someone as ibedul.

[8] Salii would control the house's office, staff, and operations until February 4, 2022, when she capitulated from her previous claims that she was the ibedul and returned the traditional chief's property, reportedly because they were threatening a lawsuit.

[4] Island Times reported that Salii had appointed her son James Lebuu Littler as ibedul but had not submitted his name to the ngarameketii for their approval.

[10] In response, Salii held a ceremony for her son in Ngerchemai where he washed his hands in turtle blood before going to Peleliu to obtain his crown pertaining to tradition.