Loida denies conspiracy
The Filipino- American businesswoman alluded to by President Duterte as being behind efforts in the US to unseat him has denied the insinuation and accused instead former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of “laying the groundwork now for a takeover later.”
Loida Nicolas-Lewis said Marcos was involved in a complex plot to become Duterte’s vice president while trying to poison his mind against her for supporting Leni Robredo.
“It’s a Machiavellian conspiracy,” said Lewis, former head of the
National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFA), the largest advocacy group for FilAms in the US.
“It’s over for Duterte should Marcos become vice president,” said Lewis, current chair of US Pinoys for Good Governance, which is campaigning for a boycott of Chinese goods in response to China’s aggressiveness in the West Philippine Sea.
Marcos, who was defeated in the vice presidential race by Leni Robredo, has a pending electoral protest case against her. He filed a protest alleging her involvement in frauds, anomalies and irregularities in the race and asked the Supreme Court to set aside her proclamation on May 27 and instead declare him the winning candidate.
Addressing the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Friday night, Duterte said the New York- based businesswoman was plotting his ouster. While he did not mention her name, his description of the woman fitted that of Lewis.
In his remarks, Duterte also named businessman George Soros as financier of efforts to have him booted out for gross human rights violations. In an interview with The
STAR, Lewis called Duterte’s allegations “complete fabrications.” She said the group of Marcos and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar “planted” the information regarding her alleged involvement in a plot to oust Duterte.
“If they succeed, Bongbong becomes vice president, and the life of President Duterte will be in danger,” she said, referring to Marcos by his nickname.
“If anything happens to the President, Bongbong becomes president and they are ready to point the finger at me. This is venal and evil.”
When asked if she really was planning to organize a demonstration against Duterte, the widow of the late Reginald Lewis said, “There is no plot. No plans.”
She said she in fact met with Duterte in Davao City on June 27.
In a statement, Lewis said there appeared to be concerted efforts to divide the country by spreading wrong information such as her alleged support for a plot to oust Duterte.
“They are simply not true and I deny them in the strongest possible terms. I am concerned that the President is being given misinformation designed to divide the country and advance the interests of a certain political group while casting FilipinoAmericans in an unfavorable light,” she pointed out.
“In fact, I have written a letter to the incoming US ambassador asking the US government to provide help for the President’s anti-drug campaign through programs for the rehabilitation of drug addicts,” she maintained.
“As a president dealing with four million Filipinos under the grips of drugs and poverty, President Duterte wants to rid the country of that plague, that curse,” she said, quoting her letter.
In the letter, she asked the US government to offer Duterte assistance in the rehabilitation of the 800,000 drug addicts and drug dealers who have surrendered.
She recalled that after her meeting with Duterte in Davao City, along with former ambassadors John Negroponte and John Maisto, “we all came away with a feeling that this President has the genuine intention to lead the Filipino people out of poverty, criminality and corruption.”
“Along with others, I do have concerns about extrajudicial killings but these are questions that have been raised and debated and have no connection at all to any plots or conspiracies,” she said.