Lawmaker wrongly blamed for name-twin politician's hospital outburst

Taipei, Sept. 8 (CNA) A Kaohsiung-based legislator spoke out late Monday to quell a wave of internet wrath, after netizens apparently confused him with a Taipei City councilor of the same name who was accused of an angry outburst at a hospital.

In social media posts over the weekend, an anonymous user accused Taipei City Councilor Lee Po-yi (李柏毅) of shouting at and threatening to sue an emergency room doctor while accompanying a family member for treatment.

On Monday, Lee acknowledged that he had been "anxious and upset" about what he described as a long wait and lackluster care that his infant daughter, suffering from a fever, had experienced in a hospital emergency room.

Lee, a member of the Kuomintang (KMT), admitted that he had a "loud discussion" with the attending physician, but denied claims that he had cursed or tried to get special treatment because of his position in government.

After news of the incident spread on Monday, many netizens, angry over Lee's alleged rudeness to healthcare workers, accidentally vented their rage at another Lee Po-yi (李柏毅) -- a Kaohsiung-based legislator from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Late that evening, Lee -- the legislator -- took to the social media site Threads to try and rectify the situation, reminding users that "while there's just one truth, there's more than one Po-yi in politics, so please 'check the brand' before you attack."

The lawmaker also responded to news stories of his name-twin city councilor yelling in the emergency room, and video clips of him engaging in a fiery debate on a political talk show, by reminding the "many friends" who had tagged or messaged him about the videos that "this Po-yi is not that Po-yi."

Similarly, the lawmaker said, people planning to leave one-star reviews for Lee Po-yi's constituency office on Google should first check that they have identified the right one, because "Kaohsiung and Taipei are very far apart."