Women’s group comes to aid of battered wife of cop

DAVAO CITY—The women’s group Gabriela on Monday said it was helping the battered wife of Davao City police director Senior Supt. Vicente Danao in her struggle for justice.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Luz Ilagan said the women’s group has stepped in after talking with Danao’s wife and finding her determined to fight for her rights.

The problem, Ilagan said, was that despite lodging complaints against her husband, there was inaction by authorities.

Among those the wife wrote to was Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Ilagan said. Roxas, as interior  secretary, has supervision over the Philippine National Police.

Danao’s abuses against his wife became public on Aug. 9 through video uploaded on YouTube. In the video, Danao was seen hitting his wife inside their house while shouting invectives at her.

Reached for comment on the YouTube video, Danao said what transpired was personal and a private matter that should be confined to their family.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte also dropped hints that he would not act on it.

“That incident being shown on YouTube is personal to Danao that has nothing to do with his work as a police director,” the mayor said in a television interview last week.

Senior Insp. Jade Clamor, spokesperson of the Southern Mindanao police, said the police hierarchy in the region also regarded the case as private.

“Yes, we think that it is a private matter and that we do not want to intrude,” he told the Inquirer by phone, adding that the regional police see no problem as long as Danao performs his duties as city police chief.

“But we will also investigate if there were indeed violations and the result will be forwarded to the proper authorities,” Clamor said.

Councilor Leah Librado disagreed and said violent acts against women and children were never private matters especially if these were committed by persons in authority.

“Violence against women is not a private matter. It is a public crime. What is most unfortunate is that the right of women to equality have been trampled upon,” the councilor said.

“More so if the violators or perpetrators are supposed to be enforcers of the law,” Librado said.

The Inquirer learned that Danao’s wife had filed several complaints of battery and grave misconduct against her husband at the Philippine National Police’s regional internal affairs service as early as January.

Sources at the PNP section said an initial investigation has been conducted and results have been forwarded to the National Internal Affairs Services in Camp Crame.

Danao earlier said he was willing to face charges.

Quoting Danao’s wife, Ilagan said the woman had been battered since 2002. This was the reason the woman left Danao and moved to the United States with their children, according to Ilagan. Judy Quiros, Inquirer Mindanao