MANILA, (PIA) — Loida Nicolas Lewis, a prominent Filipino-American lawyer, business mogul and philanthropist, expressed approval over former President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC), calling it “karma” for his controversial drug war that resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings.
“What goes around comes around,” Lewis said in an interview by media Friday, describing Duterte’s apprehension as “almost a miracle.” In some religions, karma means answering for one’s actions – if not in this life, then in the next.
The former president faces charges related to his administration’s anti-drug campaign, which human rights organizations claim led to thousands of deaths during his 2016-2022 presidency.
Lewis, who was publicly criticized by Duterte in 2018 when he falsely accused her of working with the ICC to investigate him, denied any involvement in the case.
“I don’t even know that they were at the Hague,” she said, explaining that Duterte’s animosity toward her began after she publicly called for his resignation in 2016 when he failed to fulfill campaign promises.
She added that the international community has responded positively to the development, seeing it as a sign of stability that the transfer occurred “without bloodshed.”
During the interview, Lewis also discussed her experience taking over her late husband Reginald Lewis’s billion-dollar company, TLC Beatrice International, following his sudden death in 1993.
Despite having no prior executive experience, she successfully grew the company from $1.8 million to $2 billion in revenue before selling it.
“I increased income and reduced expenses,” Lewis explained about her business strategy. She shared three business lessons: “profit with honor,” ethical business practices, and understanding that “a single failure is not equivalent to a final defeat.”
Lewis currently supports the Loida Lewis College in Sorsogon, which has grown from 300 to 2,500 students since its founding 25 years ago.
She envisions the institution becoming a hub for computer science and information technology education in the region.
Lewis was born and raised in Sorsogon, Sorsogon, the daughter of Francisco Nicolas and Magdalena Mañalac. (PIA)
(Photo: Loida Nicolas Lewis Facebook)
