Dong Puno

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Ricardo "Dong" Puno Jr. (born on January 20, 1946 in Manila) is a Filipino television public affairs host, media executive, newspaper columnist, and lawyer.

Puno was previously Senior Vice President for News and Current Affairs of the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation and Executive Vice President of the ABS-CBN News Channel. On top of that, he wrote articles for his column "My Viewpoint" first on The Philippine Star and later The Manila Times. He currently hosts a public affairs program, Viewpoints, shown on ANC.

He is the senior partner of the Puno and Puno Law Offices, Vice President-General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the nation's flag-carrier, the Philippine Airlines (1986-1990 and 1978-1983) and a member of the Philippine Panel for International Air Negotiations (1979-1990). He holds a Bachelor's of Arts degree (cum laude) from Ateneo de Manila University (1965), a Bachelor of Laws degree (cum laude and salutatorian) from the same University in 1969 and a Master of Laws degree from the Harvard Law School. He was also a past president of the Manila Overseas Press Club.

When President Joseph Estrada assumed power, Puno was appointed Press Secretary and ran unsuccessfully for a Senate seat in the 2001 senatorial race. After this debacle, he returned to the media profession and re-assumed his old position at ABS-CBN, but lost it anew after he chose to anchor the network's reformatted national late-night newscast Insider with Ces Oreña-Drilon in 2004. However, due to low ratings (it was beaten to a pulp by Saksi of GMA Network in the ratings game), the said newscast was canceled and was replaced by Bandila which marked the return of Korina Sanchez to the local newscasting scene. (Drilon then joined Bandila.) He then ran unsuccessfully for the lone congressional seat of Muntinlupa City in 2004.

He is the recipient of various awards in the fields of media and law: the 1985 TOYM awardee for Media and a KBP Golden Dove awardee (Best Male Host for Magazine Show, 1999; Ka Doroy Achievement Award, 1993 and the Best Public Affairs Show, 1990).

His program, Viewpoint, won the Catholic Mass Media Awards as Best Public Affairs Programs for three consecutive years (1984, 1985 and 1986) and was elevated to the Hall of Fame. His television shows (Dong Puno Live, Viewpoint & Focus) have also received recognition from the Gawad CCP Para sa Telebisyon and Star Awards for Television.

A son of former Minister of Justice under the Marcos administration, Ricardo C. Puno, and a brother of current Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary, Ronaldo "Ronnie" Puno, he is married to Clodelsa del Castillo and they have two sons.

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