US billionaire urges Pinoys to give funds for Noynoy

CEBU, Philippines - Filipino-born New York-based philanthropist and industrialist Loida Nicolas Lewis has been urging Filipinos in the United States to donate funds for the candidacy of Liberal Party standard bearer Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III and his runningmate Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.

She strongly believes that Aquino is incorruptible so she led the fund-raising in the US to boost the campaign of the top LP bets.

Lewis, a billionaire, a lawyer by profession and the chairperson and chief executive officer of TLC Beatrice, in a press conference yesterday, said that Aquino is beyond corruption and is “the best person who can lead this country forward.”

The Sorsogon-born socio-civic leader, who gave an inspirational message during the Rotary International District 3860 event here, said that Aquino is such a good person with no history of corruption.

“Eloquence can be thought. Skills can be learned. But honesty and integrity is your character. Nasa DNA mo yan. It is built within you. Noynoy’s character is impeccable,” Lewis said.

She has organized the US Pinoys for Noynoy-Mar Movement and being the treasurer of the group, she personally talked to over a thousands Filipinos in the United States asking them to give funds for the tandem.

“Si Noynoy walang pera. Dapat tulungan natin siya and Cebuanos should vote for him,” Lewis said, adding Cebu is the new leader in this country and has the capability to make change by voting through their conscience.

Lewis was likewise alarmed by the reports that the first-time poll automation in the country may suffer a lot of glitches especially that Smartmatic has been rejected by the US Congress.

So alarmed that she had a talked with US secretary of State Hillary Clinton two weeks ago and requested to send foreign observers to the Philippines during the election day.

“I will still have to follow it up with Hillary. What she told me is that she will look into this matter seriously. Maybe Jimmy Carter (former US president) will be in the country,” Lewis said during the press conference.

Lewis added that the coming elections is really a battle of good against evil as this is now the chance for the country to move forward and “be a nation that we can truly be proud of.”

She likewise hit Nacionalista Party standard bearer Manuel Villar, a self-made billionaire, and asked the people to investigate his background and how he got his wealth. “People should investigate and there you will see how he acquired his wealth. It’s horrible.”

Lewis is the wife of the late Reginald Lewis who acquired Beatrice International in December 1987 in a $985 million leveraged buyout, creating the largest African American company in the United States.

She is also the chairman and CEO of TLC Beatrice (China), Limited, a Cayman company which operates retail convenience stores in five major cities in China and TLC Beatrice Foods (Philippines) which operates a fresh meat processing plant. — Micthelle L. Palaubsanon/WAB   (FREEMAN NEWS)