PNP exec: Cop’s battered wife has to testify in person vs husband

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The complaint filed by the estranged wife of sacked Davao City police chief Vicente Danao could be dismissed unless she comes home to testify personally against her husband, according to the head of the Internal Affairs Services of the Southern Mindanao police regional command.

Danao’s wife, Susie, filed complaint of physical injuries against him at the Philippine Consulate in California. The complaint, which was forwarded to the RIAS a few months ago, detailed among other things, how the former city police chief had subjected her to violence in 2001 and 2002.

The abuse, Susie said, was the main reason she left him and went to the United States with their children.

Danao’s alleged wife-beating came into public light through an undated video uploaded on YouTube by a user identified only as Hudas Ka but widely suspected to be a family member.

The video showed Danao hitting his wife on the arm with what looked like a slipper while shouting invectives at her.

“The wife of Senior Superintendent  Danao needs to affirm her sworn statement. If she will not come, it is possible the cases will be dismissed,” Senior Superintendent Pedro Cabatingan, the RIAS head, said on Tuesday.

Cabatingan said the RIAS had already sent an email to Danao’s wife, informing her that hearings had started and that it was important for her to be present at future proceedings.

“Her personal appearance is needed during the hearings. We also informed her of the possibility the cases would be dismissed if she failed to appear during the hearings,” Cabatingan said.

He said the wife’s testimony was important as she is both the accuser and witness.

While Cabatingan did not comment on the video, Chief Inspector Jed Clamor, Southern Mindanao police spokesperson, had said earlier they he would be investigated solely on the strength of the video.

“But we will also investigate if there were indeed violations [of law] and the result will be forwarded to the proper authorities,” Clamor said, adding, however, that the police hierarchy viewed the domestic violence involving the Danaos as a “private matter.”

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, meanwhile,  maintained that the police hierarchy should have not intervened in the “domestic quarrel” between Danao and his wife.

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