The Central Electoral Board (JCE), the government department in charge of birth registrations, has declared the birth certificate that states Danny Almonte was born in 1989 as invalid. The department says the original birth certificate made in 1994 is the valid one. It puts his birth year at 1987, making him 14. The JCE said that it would take Danny’s father, Felipe Almonte, to court for having registered his two sons twice. The investigation revealed that Almonte had also registered his oldest son Juan, twice. The JCE said that an investigation has been opened to determine if the civil registration officer, Cecilia Lopez Silverio, has any responsibility in the case. “I hope this does not tarnish the brilliant career in baseball of Danny de Jesus Almonte, but we have to stick to the truth and that is the truth,” said Manuel Ramon Morel Cerda, president of the JCE. The Danny Almonte case has been extensively covered by the press abroad. For a recent New York Daily News report, see http://www.nydailynews.com/2001-09-01/News_and_Views/City_Beat/a-123841.asp
