TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲) was struck by personal tragedy on Tuesday (July 1) when he received news of his wife's suicide just hours before a scheduled court appearance. Visibly distraught, Pong broke down in tears at the Taipei District Court (台北地方法院), Taiwan's primary court in the capital, where judges quickly granted him emergency leave to travel southward to Kaohsiung, Taiwan's second-largest city, to make funeral arrangements and bid a final farewell to his spouse.
Court proceedings were swiftly adjourned as the judge granted Pong compassionate leave, allowing the grieving former official to board Taiwan's high-speed rail system shortly before noon. The 350-kilometer journey from Taipei to Kaohsiung took approximately two hours, with Pong arriving in the southern port city at 1:05 p.m. Sources close to the former deputy mayor reported that he first visited his residence — the last place his wife was seen alive — before making his way to the funeral home for a final, heartbreaking reunion and to complete the necessary arrangements. ◼
>>> If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 1995 to reach the Suicide Prevention Line. You can also call the Peace of Mind Line, under the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW ), at 1925, or the Teacher Chang Foundation at 1980 for additional resources.