Eric Chu (朱立倫), the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate for Sinbei City mayor, has won a libel action against the creators of a video accusing the former Taoyuan County commissioner of having an extra-marital affair.
In a recording released in November 2005, producer Lin Yi-fang (林一方) accused Chu of having numerous extra-marital relationships, including one with a network news anchor, as well as suggesting that he had had an affair with his former secretary.
Lin, who was previously one of the creators of the controversial Special Report VCD series, had said he wanted to expose government officials that he believed were involved in scandals. He has denied that anyone was defamed by the film.
Photo: CNA
The ruling by the Taiwan High Court, which can still be appealed to the Supreme Court, brings with it substantial libel damages of NT$3 million (US$97,400) — which Chu said he would donate to charity.
Expressing his satisfaction with the latest ruling, Chu said he believed all along that elections were supposed to be fought on “election policies, hard work and dedication instead of low-class attacks.”
However, with just 10 days remaining before the special municipality elections, he was also quick to connect Lin with his opponent in the election, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), claiming that she had previously endorsed Lin’s video.
“Five years ago, when Tsai acted as an honorary chairperson for a DPP candidate’s campaign, she went as far as to speak in support of the [video],” Chu said at a campaign event.
“Now that Tsai herself is also a candidate, she is still using some of her staffers to launch all sorts of attacks [against me],” he said, claiming that some of his supporters recently received packages containing false allegations against him.
One of his spokesmen said the campaign team would “definitely sue” the person found to be sending the packages.
However, two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers said at a press conference yesterday that what the KMT described as “suspicious packages” were actually clearly signed and labeled.
The contents are also factual, they said.
“Chu should have a bit of common sense,” DPP Legislator Kuo Jung-tsung (郭榮宗) said. “The documents were clearly signed by myself, DPP Legislator Huang Jen-shu (黃仁杼) and Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦), [one of Tsai’s campaign officials].”
The information reportedly contains claims that Chu cut subsidies for the elderly and withheld agricultural subsidies. Both figures are publicly accessible, Kuo said.
Tsai denied the allegation that she had once spoken in support of Lin’s video, saying Chu seemed to have gotten his facts confused.
“His remarks are absolute nonsense — I’m afraid that Chu needs to calm down,” she said. “I believe that his recent comments are stepping a bit over the line.”
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and