MANILA, Philippines — Veteran broadcast journalist Noli De Castro vowed Wednesday that he is a “Kapamilya forever”— unlike some who decided to leave ABS-CBN after its franchise was denied.
On his radio show “Kabayan” aired over DZMM, De Castro was reading a message from a listener from Pasig City who told him not to leave TV Patrol.
De Castro also serves as the main anchor for ABS-CBN’s flagship newscast.
In response to the listener, De Castro made this promise: “Ako po ang tunay na Kapamilya Forever. Nagsimula ako dito nang magsimula ang ABS-CBN after ng martial law.”
(I am a truly a Kapamilya forever. I started in ABS-CBN after martial law was over.)
De Castro even joked: “Martial law na naman, nandito pa naman ako, ay di pala martial law ‘yun.”
(It’s martial law again, but I’m still here. Oh that’s not martial law.)
The broadcast journalist once again made his vow that he will be a “Kapamilya forever,” but added: “Yung ibang nagsasabi di naman pala forever. (But those who say it don’t even mean that it’s forever.)
“Wala naman forever kasi (There’s no such thing as forever),” De Castro later said in jest.
It was in July when 70 lawmakers from the House of Representatives’ legislative franchises committee voted to deny ABS-CBN, the country’s largest media network, a fresh franchise.
ABS-CBN has been off the air since May 5 after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) ordered the network shut after its legislative franchise expired.
After the network went off the air, some of ABS-CBN’s biggest names, such as Pokwang and Jessy Mendiola, moved to other networks such as TV5.
Even De Castro’s colleague and fellow veteran broadcast journalist Ted Failon left ABS-CBN after being for 30 years with the network and decided to transfer to TV5.