Manuel Leuterio de Castro Jr. (; born July 6, 1949),
professionally known as Noli de Castro, is a Filipino journalist, news anchor and politician who served as the
12th vice president of the Philippines
The vice president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangalawang Pangulo ng Pilipinas, also referred to as ''Bise Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the second-highest official in the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the first in the p ...
from 2004 until 2010, under President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the House Deputy Speakers since 2022, and previously from 2016 to 2017. She previously ...
. He was elected to the
Senate of the Philippines
The Senate of the Philippines ( Filipino: ''Senado ng Pilipinas'', also ''Mataas na Kapulungan ng Pilipinas'' or "upper chamber") is the upper house of Congress of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines with the House of Representatives ...
in 2001 after receiving the most votes of any senator in the
2001 election.
De Castro is the anchor of radio programs ''
Kabayan'' and ''TeleRadyo Balita'' on
ABS-CBN TeleRadyo and was the original and long-running anchor of ''
TV Patrol
''TV Patrol'' is a Philippine television newscast produced by ABS-CBN News. It premiered on March 2, 1987, at the former ABS-CBN television network, replacing ''Balita Ngayon''. ''TV Patrol'' is the flagship national newscast of the network a ...
'' on
ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Philippine commercial broadcast network that serves as the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company unde ...
/
Kapamilya Channel
Kapamilya Channel (stylized as Kapamilya channel) is a 24-hour Philippine pay television network formerly known as ABS-CBN Corporation, a company under Lopez Holdings Corporation owned by the López family. The network is headquartered at t ...
. He is one of the key television figures in favor of the
Philippine drug war undertaken by the administration of President
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
.
Early life and education
Noli de Castro was born as Manuel Leuterio de Castro Jr. in the town of
Pola,
Oriental Mindoro at 4:00 pm on July 6, 1949.
He is the fifth child of Manuel de Castro Sr. (born c. 1909) and Demetria (née Leuterio, born c. 1911).
He studied at the
University of the East
The University of the East ( fil, Pamantasan ng Silangan), also known as UE, is a leading private university located in Manila, Philippines. Founded in 1946, business tycoon Lucio Tan acquired the university in 1990. UE was once labeled as the ...
in 1971 with a degree in Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in banking and finance, and a doctorate degree ''
Honoris causa
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
'' from the
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
, mottoeng = ''Light of the Nation''
, type = Public coeducational research higher education institution
, established = October 19, 1904
, closed =
, religious_affiliation = ...
.
Broadcasting career
De Castro began his career as a broadcaster during the
presidency of Ferdinand Marcos, when press freedom was suppressed. He worked as a field reporter for Johnny de Leon, a popular radio announcer at the time. He later became a radio announcer in
RPN's
DWWW station from 1982 to 1986.
After the
ouster of Marcos in 1986, de Castro joined
ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Philippine commercial broadcast network that serves as the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company unde ...
. He got his break into television as the segment host for "At Your Service" of ''
Good Morning, Philippines''. He also joined
DZMM
DZMM (630 AM) Radyo Patrol was a commercial news/talk radio station broadcasting from Quezon City, Philippines, serving the Mega Manila market. It was the flagship station of the Radyo Patrol Network owned by ABS-CBN. The station's studio w ...
, a radio station of ABS-CBN, as the anchorman of ''Kabayan''. It was because of the popularity of the program that he gained the nickname "''Kabayan'' Noli".
In 1988, de Castro became an anchor on ''
Magandang Gabi... Bayan'' and anchorman of the news and public affairs hit, ''
TV Patrol
''TV Patrol'' is a Philippine television newscast produced by ABS-CBN News. It premiered on March 2, 1987, at the former ABS-CBN television network, replacing ''Balita Ngayon''. ''TV Patrol'' is the flagship national newscast of the network a ...
''. In April 1996, he became the sole anchor of the newscast, and in January 1999, he became the newscast's overall head of production and became the vice president of DZMM.
In July 12, 2010, ''Kabayan'' returned on air with de Castro as its anchor once again.
In November 8, 2010, he returned as an anchor of ''TV Patrol'' until October 7, 2021. He was replaced by
Karen Davila
Kristine Karen Lising Davila-Sta. Ana (; born November 21, 1970), professionally known as Karen Davila, is a Filipino journalist.
Early life
Davila went to high school at the Colegio San Agustin – Makati. She took a degree of Bachelor of ...
4 days later. He had been a staunch critic of almost all programs of President
Noynoy Aquino
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...
, who has criticized former President Arroyo, de Castro's running mate in the 2004 elections. He has been known to fire tirades against Aquino throughout Aquino's presidency (which ended in May 2016). During the administration of President
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
, however, he became meek as former President Arroyo had close ties with Duterte. De Castro has been criticized for perceived
misogyny
Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practice ...
,
homophobia
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, ...
and
transphobia
Transphobia is a collection of ideas and phenomena that encompass a range of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards transgender people or transness in general. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, violence or anger to ...
in live television.
In 2018, he was being eyed by the Duterte administration for a possible return in politics under the new administration. De Castro supports the
Philippine Drug War. De Castro, along with Persida Acosta, amplified the possibility of
Dengvaxia
Dengue vaccine is a vaccine used to prevent dengue fever in humans. Development of dengue vaccines began in the 1920s, but was hindered by the need to create immunity against all four dengue serotypes.
As of 2022, there are two commercially ava ...
vaccination, which began during former President Aquino's term, as the cause of death of children in the Philippines. It was later proven by the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level o ...
and the
Philippine Department of Health that Dengvaxia is safe and that the initial deaths of children were not connected with Dengvaxia. Various organizations have blamed de Castro and Acosta for their misinformation which led to the deaths of numerous Filipino youths due to a "vaccination scare campaign".
In November 8, 2021, after backing out of Senate run, De Castro returns to his home network
ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Philippine commercial broadcast network that serves as the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company unde ...
and resume anchoring both ''TeleRadyo Balita'' and ''Kabayan'' on
ABS-CBN TeleRadyo and
Kapamilya Channel
Kapamilya Channel (stylized as Kapamilya channel) is a 24-hour Philippine pay television network formerly known as ABS-CBN Corporation, a company under Lopez Holdings Corporation owned by the López family. The network is headquartered at t ...
. He also became the host of the new program ''KBYN: Kaagapay ng Bayan'', which debuted on April 10, 2022 on Kapamilya Channel, ABS-CBN TeleRadyo,
ABS-CBN News website, and
A2Z.
Political career
Senate career (2001–2004)
In the
2001 Philippine Senate election
The 2001 election of members to the Senate of the Philippines was the 27th election to the Senate of the Philippines. It was held on Monday, May 14, 2001, to elect 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate. Independent candidate Noli de Castro, a journalist ...
, de Castro garnered the most votes and was the top-notcher for that year, garnering over 16.2 million votes running as an Independent under the
Puwersa ng Masa
The Puwersa ng Masa Coalition (Force of the Masses) was the Philippine opposition's political multi-party electoral alliance in the May 14, 2001 midterm Legislative elections. The coalition was created after the EDSA Revolution of 2001 that ou ...
coalition, the opposition coalition that backed ousted
President Joseph Estrada.
De Castro's three-year stint in the Senate saw him author 252 bills and resolutions, including the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2002, Balikbayan Law of 2002, Quarantine Act and Newborn Screening Test Act of 2001.
De Castro did not finish his term, choosing instead to run for the vice presidency in the
2004 Philippine presidential election
4 (four) is a number, numeral (linguistics), numeral and numerical digit, digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is tetraphobia, considered unlucky in many East Asian c ...
.
Vice presidency (2004–2010)
In the
2004 Philippine election, de Castro ran for vice president. He won by a narrow margin over Senator
Loren Legarda, but an electoral protest was filed by the latter. The
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
, acting as the
Presidential Electoral Tribunal
The Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) is an electoral tribunal that decides election protests involving the election of the President of the Philippines and Vice President of the Philippines. It is composed of justices of the Supreme Court of ...
(PET), dismissed the protest. He was appointed by President
Arroyo as
chairman
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the group ...
for
housing
Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether ...
and
urban development
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas
* Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities
Urban may also refer to:
General
* Urban (name), a list of peop ...
(HUDCC). As HUDCC Chair, Vice President de Castro also serves as ex official chairman of the
Home Development Mutual Fund
The Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), commonly known as the Pag-IBIG ( Pagtutulungan sa Kinabukasan, Ikaw, Bangko, Industriya at Gobyerno) Fund, is a government-owned and controlled corporation under the Department of Human Settlements and ...
(HDMF or Pag-IBIG Fund), the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), the
National Housing Authority (Philippines) (NHA), the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC) and the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) as well as ex officio vice chairman of the Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC). He has also been designated as concurrent presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers, as alternate chairman of the National Anti-Poverty Commission, head of the Task Force Against Illegal Recruitment, price monitoring czar and cabinet officer for Regional Development Palawan.
De Castro was chairman of the Pag-IBIG Fund when the housing scam involving Globe Asiatique (GA) scam took place. Throughout his vice presidency, de Castro had minimal limelight and was regarded only as "backup" for the then incumbent party coalition if ever President Arroyo was ousted.
2010 presidential election
De Castro was initially a front runner in the
2010 presidential election. Being the vice president, he was a popular choice among older voters to replace outgoing president Arroyo. However, his lead was taken by
Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...
(who later won) after Aquino declared his intent to run for president. In December 2009, he did not file to be included on the ballot. In an interview conducted by
Karen Davila
Kristine Karen Lising Davila-Sta. Ana (; born November 21, 1970), professionally known as Karen Davila, is a Filipino journalist.
Early life
Davila went to high school at the Colegio San Agustin – Makati. She took a degree of Bachelor of ...
, he announced that he would retire from politics at the end of his vice presidential term and intended to commit himself full time to broadcast journalism.
2022 Senate election bid and subsequent withdrawal
De Castro initially announced his intention to run as senator for the
2022 Senate election. On October 7, 2021, he took oath as a new member of
Aksyon Demokratiko
Aksyon Demokratiko ( ) or simply Aksyon is a political party in the Philippines founded by Raul Roco. It was recognized as a national political party in 1998 by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and is considered to be one of the major partie ...
and made his last appearance on his programs. He subsequently filed his certificate of candidacy on October 8.
However, on October 13, he withdrew his candidacy.
References
External links
Official former Senator profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castro, Noli de
1949 births
Living people
People from Oriental Mindoro
People from Manila
De La Salle University alumni
Filipino television news anchors
Filipino radio journalists
ABS-CBN personalities
ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs people
Filipino Roman Catholics
Vice presidents of the Philippines
Senators of the 12th Congress of the Philippines
University of the East alumni
Tagalog people
Chairpersons of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council of the Philippines
Independent politicians in the Philippines
Candidates in the 2004 Philippine vice-presidential election
Arroyo administration cabinet members