Davao police chief’s wife files abuse case against him

MANILA – Davao City Police chief Sr. Supt. Vicente Danao Jr. has been accused by his wife, Susie Danao, of violating Republic Act (RA) No. 9262; the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act.

Mrs. Danao, accompanied by Gabriela Party-List Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan, filed a 12-page complaint-affidavit filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday.

In the complaint, Mrs. Danao stated that she and her children “had been physically and verbally abused” by Sr. Supt. Danao from 2002 to 2013several times. Allegations of “psychological, economic, and physical abuse” were also included in the affidavit against the police chief.

Furthermore, Mrs. Danao said that she decided to file against her husband because otherwise, the abuse and “marital infidelity” would just go on; which would be contrary to their children’s well-being.

In August of this year, a video surfaced, showing Sr. Supt. Danao physically and verbally abusing his wife. This backed-up several reports filed by Mrs. Danao with local police, on the instances in which she sought help for the abuse.

Meanwhile, Ilagan expressed the urgency of the situation, saying that “it is doubly alarming that the perpetrator is one who is supposedly expected to uphold the law.”

“How can he be expected to perform his functions in protecting women and children from violence when he himself is a perpetrator and insists on reducing cases of violence as trivial domestic concerns?” Ilagan said.

Aside from the criminal complaint filed by his wife, an administrative complaint was also recently filed against Sr. Supt. Danao. The allegation, which was lodged before the Philippine National Police Regional Internal Affairs Service, led to the police officer’s month-long suspension from his post.