PNP maritime chief faked birth certificate?

A senior Philippine National Police (PNP) official due to retire this year has allegedly falsified his birth certificate in an attempt to extend his stay in service and qualify for promotion.

Senior Superintendent Ricardo Dapat, director of the PNP Maritime Group, has submitted a new birth certificate to the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM). The certificate, acquired through late registration at the National Statistics Office, showed he was born on Dec. 17, 1949 in San Juan.

Dapat’s previous PNP record indicated he was born on Dec. 17, 1948 in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

He also furnished as supporting evidence his school records and affidavits by two people who vouched he was indeed born in 1949.

Camp Crame sources claimed that Dapat submitted a new birth certificate in an attempt to circumvent a law prohibiting the promotion or transfer of any official who has less than a year left in the service.

Other PNP officials said they raised the issue after they monitored another police general, due for retirement, reportedly moving heaven and earth to have his birth records changed to reflect he was born a year later for him to be able to stay longer in the police force.

"When we entered the service, all of us were required to submit original documents to form part of our service information sheet. Does it mean that Dapat fraudulently gained his commission?" the officials asked.

Talk of Dapat’s attempt to extend his stay in service and qualify for promotion to the rank of chief superintendent — equivalent to the rank of brigadier general in the military — has triggered an uproar among other senior police officials.

They expressed doubt on the authenticity of documents Dapat submitted, claiming these can be easily obtained "if the price is right."

"Sa Recto marami niyan," they said, referring to Claro M. Recto Avenue in Manila, where professional forgers of school or government documents have set up shop.

Senior police officials urged PNP-DPRM chief Director Jose Lalisan to closely scrutinize Dapat’s new police service record.

They added that if indeed the information in Dapat’s new birth certificate are true, these should have been validated by the Office of the Solicitor General before any changes to his birth information are carried out.

"This is a very bad precedent. We are working hard to professionalize the service and here comes an officer who wanted to circumvent the law," the officials said, adding that another police official assisted Dapat in securing the new birth certificate and supporting documents.