He is not yet retired, she clarified.
At the ABS-CBN Annual Stockholders’s Meeting on August 19, ABS-CBN News division head Francis Toral was asked regarding the status of veteran news personality Noli de Castro as an anchor on the flagship newscast TV Patrol.
It was in 2025 when the former Vice President of the Philippines was last seen in the newscast and heard in his DZMM radio program Kabayan. He also hosted the network’s Halloween special Kababalaghan, which aired in November of that same year.
The news chief clarified, “Kabayan Noli de Castro remains on medical leave following his surgery last year, but he looks forward to returning once he is fully recovered.”
While she did not disclose any exact details regarding the health status of De Castro, his daughter and former reporter Kat De Castro shared on social media last December that her father underwent a surgery.
Last July, she also uploaded on her Instagram account several images with her father, which were taken during the celebration of his birthday.
Meanwhile, TV Patrol continues to remain on the air, with anchors Karen Davila, Bernadette Sembrano, and Alvin Elchico holding the fort.
Kabayan is one of the original anchors of TV Patrol since its premiere in 1987. He went on to anchor it throughout the ’90s, including the time when the program shifted to a single-anchor format in 1996.
He would leave the show in 2001 to run for the Senate, when he eventually won a seat. The seasoned journalist would also serve as the country’s Vice President in 2004.
In 2010, upon the conclusion of his term, he would make his comeback to TV Patrol, joining Korina Sanchez-Roxas and Ted Failon in the era that lasted until 2015.
In 2021, De Castro would once again depart the show to run for Senator anew, although he backed out of the race early on. It was only in January 2023 when he would make his return to the show.
