{{short description|Filipino politician (born 1951)}} {{distinguish|Fred Ruiz Castro}} {{Philippine name|Hernaez|Castro}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Fredenil H. Castro | image = GOVERNOR FREDENIL H. CASTRO.png | image_size = | caption = Official portrait, 2024 | order = 24th | office = Governor of Capiz | 1blankname = {{nowrap|Vice Governor}} | 1namedata = Jaime Magbanua | term_start = June 30, 2022 | term_end = | predecessor = Esteban Evan Contreras II | office2 = Deputy Speaker <br> of the House of Representatives | alongside2 = ''several others'' | term_start2 = October 2, 2020 | term_end2 = November 18, 2020 | predecessor2 = Mikee Romero | successor2 = Rufus Rodriguez | 1blankname2 = {{nowrap|House Speaker}} | 1namedata2 = Alan Peter Cayetano<br>Lord Allan Velasco | term_start3 = July 25, 2016 | term_end3 = January 21, 2019 | predecessor3 = Sergio Apostol | successor3 = | 1blankname3 = {{nowrap|House Speaker}} | 1namedata3 = Pantaleon Alvarez<br>Gloria Macapagal Arroyo | alongside3 = ''several others'' | office4 = 32nd & 34th House Majority Leader | term_start4 = January 21, 2019 | term_end4 = June 30, 2019 | predecessor4 = Rolando Andaya Jr. | successor4 = Martin Romualdez | term_start5 = July 23, 2018 | term_end5 = July 30, 2018 | predecessor5 = Rodolfo Fariñas | successor5 = Rolando Andaya Jr. | office6 = Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Capiz's 2nd congressional district | term_start6 = June 30, 2013 | term_end6 = June 30, 2022 | predecessor6 = Jane T. Castro | successor6 = Jane T. Castro | term_start7 = June 30, 2001 | term_end7 = June 30, 2010 | predecessor7 = Vicente J. Andaya, Jr. | successor7 = Jane T. Castro | birth_name = Fredenil Hernaez Castro | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1951|4|27}} | birth_place = Dumalag, Capiz, Philippines | death_date = | death_place = | party = Lakas (2007–2011, 2018–present)<br>One Capiz (local party; 2024–present) | other_party = Liberal (2001–2007)<br>NUP (2011–2018) | spouse = Jane Tan | children = | alma_mater = Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion (BA)<br>San Beda College (LL.B) | profession = Lawyer, politician }}
'''Fredenil Hernaez Castro'''<ref name="comelec_2019">{{cite web |title=Certified List of Candidates - Capiz |url=https://www.comelec.gov.ph/php-tpls-attachments/2019NLE/ListsOfCandidates/TentativeListsofCandidates/LOCAL/REGIONVI/CAPIZ.pdf |website=comelec.gov.ph |publisher=Commission on Elections (COMELEC) |date=November 17, 2018|accessdate=October 12, 2020 }}</ref> (born April 27, 1951), also known as '''Oto Castro''', is a Filipino politician serving as the Governor of Capiz since 2022. He was the Representative of Capiz's 2nd district from 2001 to 2010 and from 2013 to 2022. He had served as a House Deputy Speaker and as the House Majority Leader.
==Political career== Castro was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2001, representing the 2nd district of Capiz. He was re-elected in 2004 and 2007, thus reaching the limit of three consecutive terms in 2010.<ref name="Almanac">{{cite book |title=Philippine Electoral Almanac |date=2015 |publisher=Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office |isbn=978-971-95551-6-2 |edition=Revised and Expanded |url=https://archive.org/details/philippine-electoral-almanac-revised-and-expanded |accessdate=October 12, 2020}}</ref> During his first two terms in the House, Castro was a member of the Liberal Party and an ally of fellow Capiznon Mar Roxas (who at that time was trade secretary and later a senator).<ref name="LP">{{cite news |last1=Celino |first1=Felipe V. |last2=Capundan |first2=Joel E. |title=Castro open to reconciliation with LP |url=https://archive.dailyguardian.com.ph/castro-open-to-reconciliation-with-lp/ |accessdate=October 12, 2020 |work=The Daily Guardian |date=May 21, 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012160229/https://archive.dailyguardian.com.ph/castro-open-to-reconciliation-with-lp/ |archivedate=October 12, 2020}}</ref> In the 2007 elections, he ran under Lakas–CMD, the party supporting then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Quezon, Manuel L. III |authorlink1=Manuel L. Quezon III |title=An abnormal return to normality |url=https://old.pcij.org/stories/an-abnormal-return-to-normality/ |accessdate=October 12, 2020 |agency=Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism |date=June 6, 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012161645/https://old.pcij.org/stories/an-abnormal-return-to-normality/ |archivedate=October 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mogato |first1=Manny |title=Arroyo allies dominate Philippine lower house polls |url=https://fr.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-elections-idUSMAN14083320070522 |accessdate=October 12, 2020 |work=Reuters |date=May 22, 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012163312/https://fr.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-elections-idUSMAN14083320070522 |archivedate=October 12, 2020}}</ref> He also served as the chairman of the party's Capiz chapter.<ref name="Bolante">{{cite news |last1=Celino |first1=Felipe V. |title=Unfazed by raps, Bolante running for Capiz gov |work=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=February 4, 2010 |pages=A1, A4}}</ref>
In 2009, Castro also chaired the Capiz-based local party Ugyon Kita Capiz (UKC). With UKC, his wife Jane Tan-Castro was elected to the position he vacated.<ref name="Bolante" /> Jane served as the 2nd district's representative from 2010 to 2013.<ref name="LP" /> The Castros also allied themselves with former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante, who was facing allegations of plunder. Bolante was UKC's vice-chairman who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2010.<ref name="Bolante" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Burgos |first1=Nestor Jr. |last2=Burgonio |first2=TJ |title=Former Agri execs urged to name mastermind |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/3424/former-agri-execs-urged-to-name-mastermind |accessdate=October 12, 2020 |work=Philippine Daily Inquirer |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012171613/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/3424/former-agri-execs-urged-to-name-mastermind |archivedate=October 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Report: Bolante's gubernatorial bid gets more support |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/152032/report-bolante-s-gubernatorial-bid-gets-more-support/story/ |accessdate=October 12, 2020 |agency=GMA News |date=March 10, 2009 |quote=2nd District Rep. Fredenil Castro has united with Bolante}}</ref>
Castro successfully returned to the House in 2013. Running under the National Unity Party (NUP; formed by disgruntled Lakas members<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rosario |first1=Ben R. |title=National Unity Party accredited|work=The Manila Bulletin |date=November 10, 2011}}</ref>), he defeated Maria Andaya of the Liberal Party.<ref name="LP" /> He then became chair of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms in the 16th Congress.<ref name="New_maj_leader">{{cite news |last1=Roxas |first1=Pathricia Ann V. |title=Who is new House Majority Leader Fredenil Castro? |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1075559/who-is-new-house-majority-leader-fredenil-castro |accessdate=October 12, 2020 |work=The Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=January 21, 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190210211549/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1075559/who-is-new-house-majority-leader-fredenil-castro |archivedate=February 10, 2019}}</ref>
In November 2013, Castro's committee unanimously approved House Bill 3587 or the Anti-Political Dynasty Act of 2013, which aims to prohibit relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity to hold or run for public offices in successive, simultaneous, or overlapping terms. It was the first time since 1988 that an anti-political dynasty bill passed the committee level. Castro then delivered the bill's sponsorship speech in May 2014, calling on his colleagues to "place the interest of the country ahead of personal interest".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Arcangel |first1=Xianne |title=Anti-political dynasty bill makes historic debut in House plenary |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/359830/anti-political-dynasty-bill-makes-historic-debut-in-house-plenary/story/ |accessdate=October 12, 2020 |agency=GMA News |date=May 6, 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012190227/https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/359830/anti-political-dynasty-bill-makes-historic-debut-in-house-plenary/story/ |archivedate=October 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cruz |first1=Maricel |title=House starts debates on anti-political dynasty bill |url=https://www.manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/146865/house-starts-debates-on-anti-political-dynasty-bill.html |accessdate=October 12, 2020 |work=Manila Standard |date=May 7, 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012191205/https://www.manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/146865/house-starts-debates-on-anti-political-dynasty-bill.html |archivedate=October 12, 2020}}</ref>
Castro was unopposed in the 2016 elections.<ref>{{cite news |title=Old names, faces dominating the 2016 elections |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/focus/v2/05/13/16/old-names-faces-dominating-the-2016-elections |access-date=December 16, 2020 |agency=ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group |publisher=ABS-CBN |date=May 13, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202222647/https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/v2/05/13/16/old-names-faces-dominating-the-2016-elections |archive-date=February 2, 2020}}</ref> In the 17th Congress, he was elected by the House as one of the deputy speakers under Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cepeda |first1=Mara |title=Pantaleon Alvarez is new House Speaker |url=https://www.rappler.com/philippines/140788-pantaleon-alvarez-election-house-speaker-17th-congress/ |access-date=December 16, 2020 |work=Rappler |date=July 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021203019/https://www.rappler.com/nation/pantaleon-alvarez-election-house-speaker-17th-congress |archive-date=October 21, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Before they were elected to their leadership posts, Castro and Alvarez co-authored House Bill No. 1 which aimed to restore capital punishment. The bill proposed lethal injection for crimes such as human trafficking, plunder, treason, parricide, infanticide, rape, piracy, bribery, kidnapping, illegal detention, robbery, car theft, destructive arson, terrorism, and drug-related cases.<ref>{{cite news |title=House Bill No. 1: Restore the death penalty |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/07/07/1600371/house-bill-no-1-restore-death-penalty |access-date=December 16, 2020 |work=The Philippine Star |date=July 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201216042553/https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/07/07/1600371/house-bill-no-1-restore-death-penalty |archive-date=December 16, 2020}}</ref>
Castro voted for the abolition of capital punishment back in 2006, but has changed his mind, explaining that he "could not accept the way crimes are being committed" in the country.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Billones |first1=Trishia |title=Solon: House has 'overwhelming' support for death penalty bill |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/12/15/16/solon-house-has-overwhelming-support-for-death-penalty-bill |access-date=December 16, 2020 |work=ABS-CBN News |date=December 15, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200124071658/https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/15/16/solon-house-has-overwhelming-support-for-death-penalty-bill |archive-date=January 24, 2020}}</ref> The bill was approved by the House on its third and final reading on March 7, 2017. However, numerous amendments transformed it into House Bill No. 4727 with only drug-related crimes as capital offenses, in support of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cruz |first1=RG |title=House approves death penalty bill on final reading |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/03/07/17/house-approves-death-penalty-bill-on-final-reading |access-date=December 16, 2020 |publisher=ABS-CBN News |date=March 7, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020183847/https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/07/17/house-approves-death-penalty-bill-on-final-reading |archive-date=October 20, 2020}}</ref>
Castro and Alvarez also co-authored House Bill No. 2 which aims to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 9 years old. Their joint statement reasoned that youth offenders "commit crimes knowing they can get away with it" and that adult criminals "knowingly and purposely make use of youth below 15 years old to commit crimes… aware that they cannot be held criminally liable."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cepeda |first1=Mara |title=Congressmen want 9-year-old kids charged for crimes |url=https://www.rappler.com/philippines/138835-congress-lower-age-criminal-liability-death-penalty/ |access-date=December 16, 2020 |work=Rappler |date=July 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108130632/http://www.rappler.com/nation/congress-lower-age-criminal-liability-death-penalty |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> The bill was criticized by child rights advocates, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), and opposition legislators.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Enano |first1=Jhesset O. |last2=Nonato |first2=Vince F. |title=Lower criminal liability age nixed |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/846194/lower-criminal-liability-age-nixed |access-date=December 16, 2020 |work=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=November 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180331184120/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/846194/lower-criminal-liability-age-nixed |archive-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Montano |first1=Isabella |title=Alvarez stands firm on lowering minimum age of criminal responsibility |url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2017/02/01/house-speaker-avarez-lowering-minimum-age-of-criminal-responsibility.html |access-date=December 16, 2020 |work=CNN Philippines |date=February 2, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190522101816/http://nine.cnnphilippines.com/news/2017/02/01/house-speaker-avarez-lowering-minimum-age-of-criminal-responsibility.html |archive-date=May 22, 2019}}</ref> On January 28, 2019 the House approved on the third and final reading House Bill No. 8858, which aimed to set the age of criminal responsibility at 12 years old instead.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Gabriel Pabico Lalu |title=House OKs on final reading bill lowering age of criminal responsibility to 12 |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1078476/house-oks-on-final-reading-bill-lowering-age-of-criminal-responsibility-to-12 |access-date=16 December 2020 |work=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=January 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806141134/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1078476/house-oks-on-final-reading-bill-lowering-age-of-criminal-responsibility-to-12 |archive-date=August 6, 2020}}</ref> He also served as Majority Floor Leader of the House during the 17th Congress.
In 2022, Castro was elected Governor of Capiz. In September 2024, ahead of his 2025 reelection bid, Castro founded the One Capiz local party.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Guardian |first=Daily |date=2024-09-23 |title=One Capiz political party launched in Roxas City |url=https://dailyguardian.com.ph/one-capiz-political-party-launched-in-roxas-city/ |access-date=2024-12-07 |website=Daily Guardian |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://mb.com.ph/2024/10/9/castro-vs-contreras-for-governor-of-capiz|title=Castro vs Contreras for governor of Capiz|first=Tara|last=Yap|location=Iloilo City|work=Manila Bulletin|date=October 9, 2024|accessdate=December 22, 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== He took up a Bachelor of Arts at Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion, graduating in 1971, and he attained a Bachelor of Laws in San Beda College in 1975.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} He is a member of the Legal Management Council of the Philippines and the Association of Bank Lawyers of the Philippines.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}
He is married to Jane Tan. The couple reportedly became parents to twins through a Russian surrogate mother.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/03/18/russias-liberal-surrogacy-rules-are-under-threat|title = Russia's liberal surrogacy rules are under threat|newspaper = The Economist|date = 18 March 2021}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}} * {{cite web |url=http://www.congress.gov.ph/members/search.php?congress=14&id=castro |title=Member Information: Fred H. Castro |accessdate=2008-03-05 |publisher=House of Representatives of the Philippines }} * {{cite web |url=http://i-site.ph/Databases/Congress/13thHouse/personal/castro-personal.html |title=13th Congress Database |accessdate=2013-03-09 |publisher=i-site.ph}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|ph-lwr}} |- {{s-bef|before=Vicente Andaya Jr.}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the House of Representatives<br>from Capiz's 2nd district|years=2001–2010}} {{s-aft|after=Jane Tan Castro|rows=2}} |- {{s-bef|before=Jane Tan Castro}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the House of Representatives<br>from Capiz's 2nd district|years=2013–2022}} |- {{s-bef|before=Rolando Andaya Jr.}} {{s-ttl|title=House Majority Leader|years=2019}} {{s-aft|after=Martin Romualdez}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Esteban Evan Contreras II}} {{s-ttl|title=Governor of Capiz|years=2022–present}} {{s-inc}} |- {{s-ppo}} {{s-new|party}} {{s-ttl|title=Chairperson of One Capiz|years=2024–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{Current Philippine Governors}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castro, Fredenil H.}} Category:20th-century Filipino lawyers Category:People from Capiz Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Capiz Category:One Capiz politicians Category:Lakas–CMD politicians Category:Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians Category:National Unity Party (Philippines) politicians Category:Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Capiz Category:San Beda University alumni Category:Deputy speakers of the House of Representatives of the Philippines Category:Visayan people Category:Governors of Capiz