Lewis to Rody: NYT not beholden to anyone

CHICAGO – Filipino American business leader Loida Nicolas Lewis is “flattered” by President Duterte’s insinuation that she could influence the New York Times but stressed the media outfit was “not beholden to anyone.”

In an open letter to the President, Lewis said it was the heirs of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos – known Duterte supporters – who have the money to manipulate information in their favor.

“The Marcos clan has more influence, power and money than me. They have $10-billion wealth stolen from the Filipino people to influence peoples’ minds against duly elected officials,” she said.

The NYT criticized the President’s bloody war on drugs in an editorial last April 25 titled “Let the World Con- demn Duterte.” Last Wednesday, the Duterte camp said Lewis and her group influenced the 165-year-old media institution into coming up with the scathing article about his war on drugs.

“While I am flattered that you think I can influence NY Times and other media outlets, it is simply not true. NY Times is an institution older than many of us. I do not work for them, and they are not beholden to anyone,” she added.

Lewis said she wanted to set the record straight that she is not a “funder” of plots to destabilize the Duterte administration.

“In fact, I have stayed silent on political issues these past months, despite the many lies being peddled by your online trolls against me, and the death threats I have received on my social media accounts,” she pointed out.

What concerned her most, she explained, was the South China Sea issue, citing China’s threat to Philippine sovereignty.

“You know that we have worked long and hard for international recognition of Philippine sovereignty on our Exclusive Economic Zone, which includes Scarborough Shoal and Kalayaan Islands,” she said.

With the Philippines’ legal victory in the UN-backed arbitral court against China’s massive claims in the South China Sea, Lewis stressed “we must continue to assert our rights and protect our territory, our soil, our oil.”

“Thank you, President Duterte, for your time. It is my earnest prayer that with fairness, justice and righteousness, we will learn to work together to lift up and establish our beloved nation and our people,” she said.