Loida Lewis dares Duterte to expose phone conversation on ICC examination

Filipino-American businesswoman Loida Nicolas Lewis challenged President Rodrigo Duterte to expose to the media her “so-called telephone conversation” in relation to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) preliminary examination into crimes supposedly committed under the administration’s war on drugs. (Photo: Loida Nicolas Lewis/Facebook)

Filipino-American businesswoman Loida Nicolas Lewis challenged President Rodrigo Duterte to expose to the media her “so-called telephone conversation” in relation to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) preliminary examination into crimes supposedly committed under the administration’s war on drugs.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Lewis told Duterte that any wiretapped conversation handed to him by a foreign country is “bogus and made up.”

“I have already stated this before, and I will state it again: I am not in any way involved in the International Criminal Court’s decision to investigate you or the extra judicial killings in the Philippines,” Lewis said.

“In fact, I did not even know about the ICC case until I read about it on the internet. So please, kindly release to the media my so-called telephone conversation with ICC that never happened,” she added.

The businesswoman stressed that she is one of many Filipinos who believe that “murder without due process on suspicion of drug is reprehensible and goes against the laws of both God and man.”

Lewis asked her friends on Facebook to share and spread her letter until it reaches the President.

“Since President Duterte has revived his accusations with the same bogus, fake news, I want him to release the so-called telephone conversation I supposedly had regarding ICC case to investigate him,” she dared.

“Once and for all, the truth will be known and he should then stop these false allegations against me,” she added.

In February, Duterte said that he had prior knowledge of the ICC’s initial review against him, based on a phone conversation between Lewis and an unknown individual.

“I was already listening to the tapes of their conversation. It was provided by me by another country but the conversation was somewhere Philippines and New York. Loida [Nicolas] was one of them. And there was this, ‘See you in the headquarters when the case is filed,’” Duterte said.

“I knew in advance. Problem is this case, for the looks of it, it’s old politics,” he added.

This allegation was denied by the philanthropist, saying that the Chief Executive was “spreading fake news once again.”

“Whatever transcript of telephone conversation he claims to be from me is bogus and made-up,” Lewis said.

Lewis and her supposed telephone conversation were mentioned again by Duterte in a speech before the League of Municipalities earlier this week.

“Bakit ko alam si (Why do I know) Loida Reyes? Na-tap rin siya (She has been tapped),” he stressed.

“Kaya sabi ko (That is why I said), ‘look, I have a copy of your conversation. It was not given to me by America but by somebody else, by some countries.’ Eh lalabas ito (This will be released),” he continued.