MANILA, Philippines — Veteran broadcaster and former Vice President Noli de Castro on Wednesday braved the thick crowd who gathered for the raucous procession in celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene.
De Castro, who has been a devotee of the ebony image of the Jesus Christ carrying the cross, took a leave of absence from his morning newscast over radio dzMM to join the procession.
Coming from a simple background as a rugged barrio boy, De Castro has long attributed his success as a political and media figure to divine providence, and has joined the procession for years, according to his government website profile.
Earlier this week, the ABS-CBN news anchor was in hot water online over some comments he made in the television program "Umagang Kay Ganda" in a January 5 episode deemed by netizens as "rude" and "unprofessional."
"Sana ay wag sumama or sumabay ang mga ambulant vendors sa mga deboto. Yun ang pinakikiusap natin kahit nung isang taon pa," he told Winnie Cordero, who was reporting live from Quiapo, Manila on preparations being done by Manila government for the yearly event.
Other celebrities have been sighted within the crowd in previous years, such as Coco Martin, Christopher de Leon, Angeline Quinto, radio announcer Jun "Dr. Love" Banaag and Amy Perez. - Camille Diola