The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday came to the defense of Jacqueline Liu (劉姍姍), who is alleged to have mistreated her Filipino housekeeper.
Liu, director-general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Kansas City, Missouri, was arrested by FBI agents on Thursday on charges of fraud in foreign labor contracting.
According to the affidavit, among the allegations against Liu were that she seized the housekeeper’s visa and passport, trapped and mistreated her, forced her to work 16 to 18 hours a day and only paid her about US$400 to US$450 a month, well below the US’ minimum wage.
With regards to the alleged underpayment, “our preliminary investigation found that Liu is innocent,” ministry spokesperson James Chang (章計平) said.
According to the affidavit, under the contract the housekeeper was required to work 40 hours a week, eight hours a day for a salary of US$1,240 a month. She was entitled to overtime pay when she worked in excess of eight hours a day, as well as during rest days and legal holidays, and she was not required to stay in Liu’s residence except during working hours, the affidavit said.
The housekeeper wrote a letter on her own initiative to Liu, in which she agreed to have US$790 deducted from her monthly pay to cover room and board and medical insurance premiums, Chang said.
With the money deducted, the housekeeper received US$450 a month, in addition to US$140 for groceries, which was the amount TECO reimbursed the ministry for the housekeeper’s salary, he said.
Chang said the housekeeper wrote the letter to Liu when the contract was signed. He did not disclose the content of the letter and did not discuss under what circumstances it had been signed.
The ministry also dismissed other alleged abuses and mistreatment of the housekeeper, saying that she had not been deprived of her liberty.
Chang said the Filipino worked at Liu’s residence with a “flexible” time schedule as opposed to a fixed 9am to 5pm routine because Liu, who lived alone, spent much of her time at work and was seldom at home.
The housekeeper was not allowed to leave the residence whenever she wanted, but her freedom was not restricted, Chang said, adding that the claim that she was forced to work 16 to 18 hours a day was “unimaginable.”
Regarding allegations that Liu monitored the housekeeper with video cameras, the ministry said those were essential devices installed for the safety of the residence, not for placing the housekeeper under surveillance.
Friction remains between Taipei and Washington over whether Liu qualifies for diplomatic immunity. She remains in custody until a detention hearing tomorrow.
At a meeting of the legislature’s Defense and Foreign Committee, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hou Ping-fu (侯平福) said bailing out Liu was not an option because that would constitute a waiver of her right to immunity.
In accordance with the 1980 Agreement on Privileges, Exemptions and Immunities signed by Taiwan and the US, designated employees on each side are immune from legal suits and processes relating to acts they perform within the scope of their authorized functions.
“Taiwan holds the right to decide whether an act [performed by Taiwanese diplomats] falls within the scope of authorized function. In this case, Liu qualifies for immunity because the charges were related to her job,” Hou said.
Hou said it was “international practice” that the nature of acts performed by diplomats were “determined by the sending country” and not host governments.
The US Department of State withheld comment on the case, which is headed by the US Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Missouri.
“Under the 1980 agreement, Ms Liu has immunity only for acts performed within the scope of her authorized functions,” American Institute in Taiwan spokesperson Christopher Kavanagh said when contacted for comment.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft