VETERAN newspaperman, columnist and radio broadcaster Romeo “Butch” del Castillo passed away on November 28, 2014. He had been battling colon cancer with as much fire and grace as he could bring to the fight. He was 73.
Known for his incisive and in-depth reportage and knowledge of the day-to-day business of running a publication, del Castillo served as president of the National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) in 1998.
He was also a member of the Samahang Plaridel, an association of Philippine journalists.
Over nearly four decades, del Castillo honed his pen as a journalist, starting his career as a beat reporter for the pre-martial law Manila Times. Later, he moved on to The Times Journal, after which he served as a business editor of The Evening Post, and then the Manila Standard, where he rose to the post of managing editor, before moving on to the ALC Group of Companies as the editorial board chairman of the Philippines Graphic magazine.
He also hosted the program Business Is Our Business over AM radio station DWIZ. Bilingual in his writing, del Castillo maintained a regular column, “Omerta”, for the BusinessMirror and the Pilipino Mirror.
Beyond his reportage and incisive news analysis, particularly in the business section and for matters political, del Castillo trained young journalists, teaching them the ropes in his trademark no-bullshit manner.
Outside the newsroom, del Castillo was also known as a man who did not hesitate to help other journalists in their times of crisis and need, sharing his resources and raising funds for his colleagues as needs demanded. During his tenure as NPC president, del Castillo was instrumental in establishing a scholarship fund for the children of journalists slain in the line of duty.
Del Castillo leaves behind a legacy of fairness and accuracy in his reportage while, at the same time, maintaining a hard-hitting stance in his writing.
1 comment
Eternal rest grant unto Butch, oh Lord. And may the Perpetual Light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.
Marie Castillo-Pruden