Loida Nicolas Lewis denies plot to oust Duterte

Fil-Am billionaire lobbyist at the center of #LeniLeaks breaks silence, contends her dissent is not tantamount to conspiracy

Updated January 9, 2017, 6:39 PM

‘By MB Online

Loida Nicolas Lewis, the Filipino-American billionaire lobbyist at the center of the “#LeniLeaks” controversy, denied there is such a plot to unseat President Rodrigo Duterte.

“First: No plot to oust Duterte,” Lewis said in her statement reported by GMA News. “Resign Duterte Movement is based on President Duterte’s own words that he would resign if drugs are still rampant six month(s) after his inauguration.”

Lewis is tagged in revelations about the leaked correspondence in the Yahoo! group of a so-called Global Filipino Diaspora Council (GFDC) that purportedly shows the Office of the Vice President’s involvement in moves to disparage President Rodrigo Duterte in the world stage.

Lewis said, “Global Filipino Diaspora Council is a Public Site. If there is a conspiracy, would it be discussed in a public page?”

Thinking Pinoy, the blogger who revealed the leaked emails, contested in one of his posts that the group has been set to private.

She then said, “Dissent is NOT equivalent to a plot or conspiracy.”

“In a democracy, opinions of varying shades, either praise or criticism, are a staple ingredient of a vibrant democracy,” GMA News quoted her as saying. “Since when has criticism become an element of sedition?”

Lewis earlier broke her silence in a statement issued via her Facebook page on Monday, January 9.

Though the post did not directly address the issue, Lewis defended her “right, even a duty, to be involved in our homeland and participate as much as we can in its politics” despite being overseas.

“Just because we are Overseas Filipinos (OFs) do not mean that we have lost our right to be involved in or speak out on developments in our home country.”

“It is in that spirit of caring and brotherhood that we speak out on developments in the Philippines. We will continue to do so because if we did not, we would be untrue to who we are (sic): Filipinos, like you,” Lewis said.

She took the cudgels for fellow overseas Filipinos with dual citizenship like her. “It is therefore wrong to disparage or demean comments from overseas Filipinos.”

Lewis also pointed out the contribution of overseas Filipinos to the country’s economic growth. “At least one out of every eight Filipinos lives overseas. Our remittances are a major boost for the Philippine economy.”

“Love of country is not limited to those who reside in the Philippines. A waiter on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, an accountant working with a New York City firm, a nurse caring for patients in the suburbs of London—we are all a part of the greater Philippine nation.”

Even if they reside overseas, Lewis said they “always try to give back to the motherland.”

“As for me, I founded The Lewis College in my hometown of Sorsogon, which is offers low and affordable tuition for college in the Bicol Region, and about 25% of those in College are on scholarship,” she said.

The #LeniLeaks controversy, which unfolded over the weekend by blogger Thinking Pinoy via a tip received by fellow netizen Sass Rogando Sasot, detailed the conversations over the GFDC group showing what seemed to be a well-orchestrated plan to denigrate the president and former senator Bongbong Marcos—who contests the electoral victory of incumbent vice president Robredo.

Loida Nicolas Lewis.
From Loida Lewis’ Facebook page | mb.com.ph

Lewis is a Fil-Am businesswoman and widow of TLC Beatrice founder Reginald Lewis. A known supporter of the Liberal Party, she had been a vocal critic of President Duterte.

The president had previously alluded to her as a rich woman who is a financier of a massive demonstration against him.

Aside from Lewis, the other major players in the GFDC include:

Imelda Nicolas, Lewis’ sister and head of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas
Jose Molano Jr., CFO commissioner
Ted Liguatan, Philippine Daily Inquirer U.S. Bureau correspondent
Gene Alcantara, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau correspondent
Filomenita Hogsholm, influential North E.U. civil society leader

The vice president has already dismissed the controversy as “purely ridiculous.”

Prior to the #LeniLeaks controversy, Robredo has been accused of supporting efforts to oust Duterte, which the vice president had repeatedly denied.

Tags: #LeniLeaks, email leaks, GFDC, Global Filipino Diaspora Council, Loida Nicolas Lewis, Loida Nicolas Lewis denies plot to oust Duterte, Manila Bulletin, overseas Filipinos, Rodrigo Duterte, Yahoo! group

Kurtmarcus

Read between the lines. “Does not directly address controversial emails”???? the statement is already clear that the group exist and they are doing it as part of their self serving DUTY to the Filipino people. They forgot the 16M Filipinos (the majority) are behind PDU30! Anyways, if they are successful overthrowing governments before, it will not work this time.
- Padreko
  
  16 mil IDIOT
  - jojo
    
    maybe you’re the idiot padreko.
  - Grem Scarf
    
    you are a bitter idiot.
  - Warren Madriaga
    
    aquino worshipper
  - Yazar Yamen
    
    I saw it in different way… LP are idiots like NGOYNGOY who eats his BOOGER..
  - Juan Dela Cruz
    
    he he he, at least we’re not the 9.9 million imbeciles who voted for your idol.
- buddy dudd
  
  Do your math fellow. 16 Million is not the majority but only 38 percent of the total who cast their ballots in the recent 2016 presidential elections. most of the marginalized and the poor are in the opinion IDIOTerte can help them improved their poverty stricken lives and benefit from his promises. But can DUDIRTY DELIVER ON HIS PROMISES? He has not spelt out his program of governance, especially on how to alleviate the living conditions of the poorest of the poor. Not rhetoric but economic policies and the details. Six months have passed and what we witness from this regime arw drugs, drugs, and drugs, then killings, killings and more killings.DUTAE asked for three months, then nothing happened. Asked an extension of another three months. still nothing. He said he needs a year or more to eradicate drugs, crime, corruption, etc. And in the meantime the killings keep on going non=stop and the sad fact more than 90% of the victims are the poorest of the poor. Will DUTITI succeed in making rthe Philippines great again? The answer is a BIG NO>>>>>>>>>
  - Joshua Tre
    
    Well it can go both ways, the 16 M could have increased or decreased. I don’t see any rallies going on so I guess the Filipinos are generally happy with Duterte, don’t you think?
  - MAGNETIC LEVITATION
    
    Blame game strikes again. What do you call the millions who did not for Duterte? The decent yellow? hahahahaha You are funny.
  - Kurtmarcus
    
    I’m pretty aware of the 100M Filipinos population but obviously, not everyone is entitled to vote. you cannot twist the fact that the 16M Filipinos is the Main reason why PDu30 is the nations President. You are talking about the 6 months old Duterte’s Administration promises and yet he work so hard compare to other president. This is the problem with you. your too blind with the effort of the government to obviously wiped out corruptions, the drugs problems and the poverty wherein all the past presidents promises to give them a better life. This EJK are not the work and the orders of the President. How can he stop this when people in the Drug syndicate killing each other because they dont like them exposed. the President dont have control over them. In the Police operations during raid,you claim mostly then poor are the victims. But being poor doesnt give you rights to sell and use drugs and commit crimes. Yes, there are other victims that has nothing to do with drugs but die and in any war, collateral damage can never be avoided. this is WAR and there is no easy way to win it. Hope you clear your mind and step back and look at the bigger picture. Extreme measures are required for extreme problems. Good thing we have a president trying to do his best to fulfill his duty to eliminate all the problems than sit down, ignore all this problems and make the people like you happy and let our nation suffers. I am here to support the president no matter what because i truly believe on what he is doing will benefit you and me and our children. Open your heart. You and me comment because deep in our heart, we want a better philippines. Both of us love our country. but we need to be supportive with our leader than oust him because you want the same old group of leaders that really never have the balls to do what our president is doing right now/
  - Juan Dela Cruz
    
    Do your fucking math on the 1.8 million people in EDSA during the EDSA revolution. Was that the majority speaking? Tangina 16 million na nga ang bumoto hindi nyo pa matanggap na panalo? Gusto nyo yung idol nyo na 9.9 million ang boto ang maupo? anong criteria naman? paramihan ng bansag? Boy epal, boy balibag, boy palengke, boy bawang, boy lloyd (mongoloid)? panalo na sya.
- Abby
  
  true! makapal ang mukha nitong lewis na to.
- kgd_tdp
  
  When was the time 16m become the majority of the filipinos? You are one of the the proud id@$t i know..
  - Kurtmarcus
    
    when the 16M votes put you to the Presidency. I know Filipinos are 100M+ people but not everyone is entitled to vote. You have your chance to voice out and give your honest opinion about what is the Government is doing rather than say 1 paragraph that really nothing to do with the Articles you are commenting. you say 1 am one of the “id@$t” and what you mean by that? lolz.
  - Пламень За Свободу
    
    When was the last time that 1.8 million people who participated in Edsa became a majority? idiot!
  - Juan Dela Cruz
    
    siguro naibagsak ka ng nanay mo noong bata ka pa. 16 million IS the majority of the Filipinos who voted kasi hindi naman one on one ang labanan. Gusto mo ba dapat ang nanalo 51% ng botante ang nakuha tapos yung apat na tukmol na kalaban maghahati hati sa 49%? Cretin ka na tol.
Ric Mandi

first of all, you don’t have right to speak in behalf of the filipino community (OFW) because you are one of those pinoy who migrate to USA and now a US citizen. we are the OFW who citizenship is truly PINOY
- Padreko
  
  Fuck u Ric M
  - grei_archer
    
    pwede ba ito admin?? nag mumura oh?!!
    - Padreko
      
      freedom of speech STPD.
      - Yazar Yamen
        
        FREEDOM OF SPEECH? THEN FUCK YOUR MOTHER IDIOT.. OR FUCK LIELA DELIMAW…
    - MAGNETIC LEVITATION
      
      Just flag as Inappropriate. On the rightmost side of the comment there is a down arrow or chevron, click it and pick flag as inappropriate.
      
      This is how the Decent comments. 😀 hahaha
  - Juan Dela Cruz
    
    Yellowtard alert.
- wildspecie
  
  She is a dual citizen.
  - Juan Dela Cruz
    
    engot, ibig sabihin nyan wala kang allegiance. para kang alamang, kung saan ka anurin, doon ka. Balimbing much?
- Joshua Tre
  
  Well said Ric Mandi.
- winston del cruz
  
  Tanga, by blood they’re still filipinos. Its only papers changed but not totally changed
  - MAGNETIC LEVITATION
    
    Look how the decent comments. There is always some kind of cussing in the sentence.. bitter yellow bleeding hearts. hahaha
  - Juan Dela Cruz
    
    Tanga, by blood, technically, lahat tayo African. May padugo dugo ka pa dyan. Kung pinoy ka, dapat nasa PInas ka. or at least may angkla ka sa pinas tulad ng anak or asawa (meaning OFW). Kung buong angkan mo nasa merica na, ultimo yaya at driver nyo tapos puro slang na salita nyo, tapos feeling nyo mas mataas na kayo sa mga ordinaryong pinoy, ang tawag na sa inyo, LBFMs.
alexsjsantos

An OFW is different from an immigrant with dual citizenships, FYI
- wildspecie
  
  So what do you mean does it makes her less Filipino than an OFW? So a dual citizenship gives you not more than having a Philippine passport to freely travel to the Philippines.
  - Grem Scarf
    
    she should respect also the votes of the OFW’s and that is DUTERTE right?
    - wildspecie
      
      Yes respect the opinion of the 16M, and forego the opinion of the 38M right?
      - angpilipinongayon
        
        You are in a logical fallacy, what gives you the idea that the 38M though did not voted for Duterte in the polls are all Anti Duterte? Your opinion clearly suggests that the 38 were rooting for the yellow blood.
      - wildspecie
        
        Of course not did I say that, ang binabasehan ko ang laging sinasabi ng mga Dutertard na tulad mo na majority of the Filipinos voted for your President. FYI, I didn’t vote last election. How come did you say I was rooting for the LP?
      - Jon
        
        You DIDN’T VOTE and you have the nerve to complain…you have to live kung sino ang president ng bayan….bec it shows na wala kang pakialam tapos pag hnd mo nagustuhan ang result aangal ka…
      - Juan Dela Cruz
        
        Dapat yung mga nag abala na bumoto lang ang pwede mag reklamo. Ikaw, walang silbi sa lipunan, manahimik ka na lang. Nagpatawag ng eleksyon, mas inuna mo mag starbucks, tapos ngayon tapos na eleksyon saka ka magpapabebe kasi ayaw mo sa nanalo? You forfeited your right to an opinion about the election because you didn’t fucking vote. Ampotah.
      - Nen Camara
        
        Dear Wild, You, like Maria Ressa, need to read more about the legalities of democracy. Last I checked there were more than 2 candidates for President ????
      - wildspecie
        
        So that means the 38M are not for Duterte, and they voted for someone else. Ito ang di maganda sa demokrasya ng Pilipinas walang majority President, kaya sa ibang bansa mayroong Presidential run off, boboto ulit ang tao sa dalawang may pinakamataas na boto par magkaroon ng majority winner. Sige nga mukhang political scientist ka eh enlighten me para maintindihan ko pa.
      - Jon
        
        Then sinong may kasalan nyan si Cory? Kasi sya ang naging president because of edsa revolution. And to vote again ilang billion pesos na naman ang gagastusin para sa election?
      - Nen Camara
        
        Dear Wildspecie, gusto ko yang makita, kasi alam na naten kung sino ang mananalo diyan. Peace *smiley face*
      - Aldy Pacheco
        
        38M? do you think you have these 38M on your side? in your dreams alien species, you are only included in a FEW (means ONLY FEW) having this non sense opinion…
      - wildspecie
        
        Of course they are not on my side, but absolutely not yours too!!!
      - Yazar Yamen
        
        So what can you say about the latest survey which PRRD has 83% approval rating? Only 5% disapproval does it mean 5% is the majority? If I were you I will stop posting comments you only reveals the size of your brain.. Perhaps as size of a peanut…
      - Jon
        
        You don’t have a side bec you didn’t vote during the election…
      - Aldy Pacheco
        
        absolutely majority of them are with your narrative minds….because most of them are with the current govt. policies for a genuine Filipinos who wants to be better in the future….BUT NOT FOR YOU ALIENSPECIES and your platoon (only) who cannot accept the facts that GOVT is doing the RIGHT THINGS for the betterment of Philippines.
      - Jon
        
        How many votes does roxas get? How many does binay get? How many votes does PNOY get? Does that mean he is not a legitimate president? You harp that DU30 got only 16 mil votes but those are the majority who cast there ballot. So you will agree with me that Leni is not also a legitimate vice president because she doen’t have the 51% votes
      - Grem Scarf
        
        38m? whats their opinion? its only the oppositions who are louding and crying because they cant accept their defeat.
      - wildspecie
        
        The 38M belongs to the opposition, everyone who did not vote for your President is an opposition.
Joshua Tre

Those residing abroad do not have the right to meddle in Philippine affairs. Live here first then you can complain or chastise. You can’t enjoy the perks of living abroad and be critical of the Philippines at the same time. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. So shush Loida, you don’t know better then the Filipinos residing here and you do not speak on the OFWs behalf.
- Jamie Bautista
  
  Sass and many of the bloggers who support Duterte (or criticized PNoy) also reside abroad. So does that mean they were also wrong to criticize PNoy and now also shouldn’t meddle in Philippine affairs?
wildspecie

Sometimes those who are living comfortably abroad are more concern than those who are living in the Philippines and seeing all things unfolding before their very eyes and yet do nothing, who is more Filipino?
- janis
  
  you could be right BUT it is often easier said than done
  - wildspecie
    
    Some are doing something even in their own little way.
- eldon
  
  Isn’t it just because they had nothing better to do? As you’ve said, they are LIVING COMFORTABLY.
  - wildspecie
    
    They can stay away from the problems of the Philippines, anyway who cares?
- janis
  
  So you are saying loida lewis only wants good for the Philippines and the Filipino, aba ganun din ang goal ni Pres. Duterte, pareho sila maganda ang hangarin, di ba? Problem is Loida Lewis seems to think only those she favors are the only people can do right for the country. Dun sya mali. Tapos na ang panahon ni Noynoy Aquino, pinagbigyan na sya ng whole 6 years blaming his predecessor, again tapos na sya (ala nora aunor) kaya maghunos dili na kau, give others a chance. 100 milyon plus na ang Filipinos they deserve better.
- Juan Dela Cruz
  
  nakakatawa naman na nandyan ka sa malayo pero mas marami ka nagagawa? talaga? Kami nandito, frontlines, ikaw nandoon sa bleachers. Manahimik ka na lang, spectator ka lang. Ang pinapatay ngayon mga drug pushers, ang pinapatay noon mga inosente. End of argument.
MAGNETIC LEVITATION

This woman is trying to be important while desperate in trying to protect her interest. Live here in the Philippines first before making or even cooking ouster plot and sabotaging the Philippine Government.
Warren Madriaga

Asus, kumukuha ng simpatya sa OFW! HIndi nyo lang matanggap na TALUNAN kayo! ang laki cguro ng nagastos mo sa LP kaya di mo matanggap na isinusuka na ang mga dilawan!
cavitenorth19

Ulol…Kahit ilang beses ka pa magsuot ng mask Loida at magsalita ng kung ano2x storya at magpanggap Bistado na kayo sampu ng mga LP na hindi matangap na kung bakit maraming galit sa kanila. OVP nasasa inyo na kung papano nyo maipapaliwanag sa tao ang #LeniLeaks depende yan kung may maniniwala pa sa palusot nyo.
angpilipinongayon

And you are not the representative of all OFWs in the world.
philspratly

if it is just talking , speaking out , nothing wrong with it.
Sensui

Ginagamit pa ang ibang Overseas Filipinos para sa kanyang pansariling interes!
F U C K YOU mo po Loida Lewis! Go to H E LL and bring with you your riches! #LeniLeaks
GungGung

Sore loser. Talo si Clinton, Talo si Roxas. You’re a curse to politicians.
Пламень За Свободу

A unlegit dual citizenSCUM wanted to oust duterte while sitting her buttocks somewhere in United States enjoying her American Dream. How pathetic.
Francis Fueconcillo

Loida Lewis on FOREIGN INVESTORS and FOREIGN MEDIA:

“… Hindi naman sila taga Pilipinas, so kung ano ang nasa CNN, yun ang totoo… The worldwide BBC article will do us damage. The Sydney Morning Herald, Le Mond and the Strait Times picked it up, but BBC is worldwide.”

“Doesn’t have to be TRUE, jus have to LOOK like that”

TANGINA MO LOIDA LEWIS.. IKAW ang NAGPAPAHIRAP sa BAYAN!
Gedd

She’s a filipino immigrant who supports Liberal Party and openly critecized the philippine government despite being a citizen of another country. Dual citizenship doesn’t give her a title of being a patriot because she doesn’t have an absolute allegiance to her country.

I think she is not a lesser filipino but she should know the bounderies of her criticism.
juntab12

Halata na masyado ang mga yellows.