A welcome ‘re-birth’ for CPD’s Castro

A new birth date may just give a police general an extension in the police service.

Central Police District director-on-leave Chief Superintendent Napoleon Castro could be appointed back to his post after the Civil Service Commission (CSC) recognized the change of his birth-date, giving him a one year extension in the police service.

In an order released last Tuesday, CSC Director IV Agnes Padilla upheld Castro’s claims that he was born on May 5, 1949 as indicated in the records of the National Statistics Office. Until this year, Castro had thought his birth date was April 5.

"After a careful evaluation of said documents which Castro represents to be a genuine, the same clearly prove that the date of birth of requesting party is May 5, 1949," Padilla said in a one-page decision.

After learning of the CSC decision, Castro said he is leaving it up to the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership whether or not to reconsider this changes in his birth date for the CPD post.

"I leave the matter to the chief of the PNP. I should have retired earlier, but this development on my birth date cropped up," Castro said.

Under PNP laws, a police officer who reaches the age of 56 is supposed to retire from service. In Castro’s case, he took a leave of absence after learning of his "real" birth date, which technically gave him nine more months in the police service.

CPD deputy chief Senior Superintendent Oscar Marinas is acting as officer-in-charge.

In his three-page affidavit of change, Castro argued that he was in "good faith" when he used April 5, 1948 as his date of birth all his life. He used it in entering grade school until he enrolled at the Philippine Military Academy in 1968.

"That knowing, in good faith, that April 5, 1948 was my real date of birth, I have used that date in all my military and police records," he said.

Castro said he would have retired from the police service after supposedly reaching his mandatory retirement age of 56 last April 5.

On request of a largely influential religious group, Castro’s term was extended until May 31 this year.

Prior to finishing his extended term on May 31, Castro said he learned that May 5, 1949 was his real birth date upon securing an original copy of birth certificate from the NSO.

"I discovered this fact only when my wife and I secured our birth certificates at the NSO while we were processing our passports," Castro said.

He said he was supposed to treat his family for a trip in Hong Kong or Singapore as way of celebrating his retirement when he learned of his birth date registered at the NSO.

Castro’s 90-year-old mother, Brigida Capulong Castro, also informed him that his April 5, 1948 birth date was reflected in a "certification" from the Office of the Civil Registrar Office in Apalit, Pampanga. Castro’s father secured the certification to enable his son to enroll in Grade 1 as a seven-year-old pupil.

"These were done without my personal knowledge. I was not told of the fact even when I reached majority age. In view thereof, in good faith I have accepted, adopted, recognized and used in all my civil acts April 5, 1948 as my real date of birth," Castro said.