‘You are both god and devil!’ Chuang Ching-cheng criticizes Chiang Wan-an for hypocrisy on vaccine data

DPP candidate Chuang Ching-cheng has sharply criticized Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, accusing him of hypocrisy and acting against his conscience concerning the controversial 1.06 billion yuan vaccine scam involving the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation.

Chuang alleges that Chiang, who previously served as co-convener of the Legislative Yuan's Health and Welfare Committee with him, was aware of the challenges in government vaccine procurement during a closed-door meeting. However, Chuang claims Chiang later publicly suggested the government was obstructing vaccine purchases, effectively turning the public health crisis into a political battleground.

Responding to Chiang's assertion that some individuals are attempting to "wash people's memories," Chuang escalated his accusations. He revealed that Chiang himself was responsible for the decision in that meeting to classify related documents as non-public. Chuang detailed how, during a secret meeting when Chiang was convener, former Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) commander Chen Shih-chung explained the complexities of international vaccine procurement. This included global supply shortages, intense international competition, diplomatic pressures, and confidentiality agreements. Chuang stated that Chiang and other KMT legislators present offered no substantive counterarguments at the time.

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You are both the god and the devil. You were the one who decided to classify the data as non-public, and now you are using that classified data to accuse others of a lack of transparency. You clearly knew the full vaccine procurement process... yet you accuse the government of blocking vaccine purchases.

Chuang expressed regret that Chiang and others allegedly began spreading claims of "government blocking vaccine procurement" and "government unwilling to buy vaccines" immediately after leaving the meeting. He accused Chiang of deliberately ignoring the procurement difficulties he was privy to, using the pandemic response for political gain. Chiang's office stated that "some people want to wash people's memory, but memory will not be washed away." Chuang countered on Facebook, calling Chiang out: "You are both the god and the devil. You were the one who decided to classify the data as non-public, and now you are using that classified data to accuse others of a lack of transparency. You clearly knew the full vaccine procurement process... yet you accuse the government of blocking vaccine purchases."

Chuang further criticized Chiang's interpretation of Chen Shih-chung's warning to private organizations to be vigilant against scams, requiring original manufacturer shipping documents and government endorsement for safe and legal import. Chuang argued that Chiang misrepresented this necessary vetting process as obstruction. He concluded that these accusations are not only contrary to the facts Chiang personally understood but also a regrettable and malicious distortion of the truth that the public will not accept.

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Some people want to wash people's memories, but memory will not be washed away.