The Executive Yuan yesterday pledged to investigate whether Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲), the head of the Department of Health, sexually harassed another man.
Nevertheless, PFP lawmaker Diane Lee (李慶安), claiming to represent the so-far anonymous victim, said that she had little confidence in the Cabinet's handling of the matter.
PHOTO: LIAO RUI-HSIANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Meanwhile, Twu yesterday issued a statement to the media and then followed up with a news conference to dismiss the allegation, saying that he would "immediately resign if the allegation proves to be true."
He also said that he will take legal action against those media spreading false reports about him.
Chinese-language media reported on Tuesday that Twu, the newly appointed acting director-general of the Department of Health, is a bisexual.
Twu reportedly kissed a man against the person's will during an event celebrating Twu's promotion at a karaoke parlor. Twu then reportedly licked the ears of the individual.
Speculation is rife that the allegation has been prompted by jealousy at Twu's rapid rise up the civil service ladder.
Twu, who served as the director of Taipei City's Bureau of Health when Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was Taipei City mayor, succeeded Huang Fu-yuan (黃富源) as deputy director-general three months ago. He was appointed to take over leadership of the Department of Health in late August following the resignation of former Director-General Lee Ming-liang (李明亮).
During the weekly closed-door Cabinet meeting yesterday, Cabinet Spokesman Chuang Suo-hang (莊碩漢) said that Premier Yu Shyi-kun had instructed Cabinet Secretary-General Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) to handle the matter.
"If unfortunately the allegation proves to be true, we'll let the judicial system and ethnical unit take care of the rest," Chuang said. Chuang, however, called on PFP lawmaker Diane Lee (李慶安), who represents the alleged victim, to supply the name of her client to help the Cabinet investigate the case.
"Technically speaking, we ignore all anonymous complaints," Chuang said. "But if they are of significant importance, we'll proceed with the investigation process."
According to Chuang, Lee presented a petition letter to the premier on behalf of her client during a legislative recess on Tuesday. After showing Yu the name and social identification number of her client, Lee tore up that part of the information to protect the privacy of her client.
"The premier then telephoned Twu to ask him about the matter. Twu told the premier that he has never been to any karaoke parlor since he took office and that he was visiting his sick mother on the day of the incident," Chuang said.
Responding to a query by a KMT lawmaker on the legislative floor on Tuesday, Yu refused to investigate the matter, claiming the lack of the names of the people concerned.
In response, Lee held a press conference yesterday afternoon to dismiss the Cabinet's claims.
"Honesty is the best policy. I'm calling on the premier and Twu to stop lying," Lee said. "It's not an anonymous complaint because I've told the premier the name of the individual in addition to the time and place when the incident took place."
Lee also explained her lack of confidence in the Cabinet's handling of the matter.
"Since the news broke, some of the people concerned have been told to either keep quiet or change their story," Lee said. "I don't rule out the possibility of asking the victim to tell the story himself if necessary."
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was
RSS