MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE 4) Actor Diether Ocampo will transfer to GMA 7, a top executive of the network confirmed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Wilma Galvante, GMA 7 Senior Vice President for Entertainment, made the confirmation as reports broke out Wednesday on yet another transfer of an ABS-CBN talent to the GMA 7 roster.

According to Galvante, Ocampo signed a “long term” contract with GMA 7 and would appear in the network’s primetime shows, including, reports said, the much-awaited Philippine TV adaptation of the hit Korean series, “All About Eve” with Sunshine Dizon, Iza Calzado, and fellow ex-Kapamilya stars Richard Gomez, Jean Garcia and Eula Valdez, that is set to hit the TV screens next year.

She added the network “did not pirate” Ocampo because when he signed the GMA 7 contract, he introduced himself as an “independent artist.”

“He introduced himself as an independent artist when he first talked to us,” Galvante told Inquirer Entertainment by phone on Tuesday. Ocampo joined show business in 1995 as a talent of ABS-CBN.

Ocampo’s last appearance on ABS-CBN was in the primetime drama “Iisa Pa Lamang” opposite Claudine Barretto and Gabby Concepcion.

Galvante said Ocampo will be cast in “a movie and several TV shows.”

“When we ask a talent to join our (roster),” Galvante elaborated, “it has to be mutually beneficial. The projects we will give Diether should help advance his career (and) he should (draw) more viewers to watch our shows.”

Ocampo follows several homegrown ABS-CBN talents who have jumped ship to the rival network. They include Heart Evangelista, Paolo Contis, Jolina Magdangal, Dennis Trillo, Camille Prats, Marvin Agustin, Eugene Domingo, Patrick Garcia, Pauleen Luna, Julia Clarete, and Michelle Madrigal.

For his part, Ocampo responded to an Inquirer SMS query about his transfer to GMA 7 by saying: “Merry Christmas.”

With Gerry Plaza and Bayani San Diego Jr.