Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters yesterday said it would organize a special team to investigate a media allegation against DPP Legislators Gao Jyh-peng (
The Director of the DPP's Department of Culture and Information Super Meng (孟義超) told a press conference that DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lin Yi-cheng (林宜正) and Central Standing Committee member Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡) will be in charge of investigating whether the three attended late-night gatherings with female escorts.
Meng said the men's memberships would not be suspended for now but did not specify if they would be referred to the DPP's Central Review Committee for disciplinary action.
Gao yesterday also told DPP Secretary-General Lin Chia-lung (
Whether he will be referred to the Integrity Committee depends on the party's decision which may be made during tomorrow's Central Executive Committee meeting.
According to DPP guidelines, party members are liable to punishment if their behavior violates the party's resolutions or damages its image.
If the wrongdoing is a violation of members' integrity or involves conflicts of interest, the matter is referred to the Central Review Committee after being investigated by the Integrity Committee first.
The party instigated its crisis management after a front-page report in the Chinese-language Apple Daily on Sunday alleged Gao, Yu, Lee and presidential aid Kuo Wen-pin (郭文彬) enjoyed escorts' company in separate late-night gatherings held in a Taipei guesthouse.
The report showed pictures of Gao, Yu and Lee leaving the location alone before dawn while a series of four pictures showed Kuo giving a woman a ride in his car.
DPP legislators were divided over how to deal with Gao, Yu and Lee. DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yi (李俊毅) told the media that as long as they did not violate the law or damage the party's image when visiting the guesthouse, the incident should be regarded as "a matter of one's personal upbringing and ability to control oneself."
Any speculation before facts are established would harm the individuals, he said, urging DPP members not to "make something out of nothing."
DPP Lawmaker Tsai Chi-fang (
"It is all right as long as they were not involved in wrongdoing," he said.
DPP Legislator Lin Chung-mo (
DPP Legislator Wang Shu-hui (
She said Gao, who also acts as the convener of the Central Review Committee, should ask the party headquarters for a period of leave in order to avoid a conflict of interest and that the party caucus' Discipline Committee should then propose an investigation to the party headquarters' Central Review Committee.
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China has reserved offshore airspace over the Yellow Sea and East China Sea from March 27 to May 6, issuing alerts that are usually used to warn of military exercises, although no such exercises have been announced, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Sunday. Reserving such a large area for 40 days without explanation is an “unusual step,” as military exercises normally only last a few days, the paper said. The alerts, known as notice to air missions (NOTAMs), “are intended to inform pilots and aviation authorities of temporary airspace hazards or restrictions,” the article said. The airspace reserved in the alert
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