MANILA, Philippines – Senior Superintendent Vicente Danao Jr, a former Davao City police chief, is the new chief of the Manila Police District (MPD).

In an order released on Wednesday, November 7, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde instructed Danao to replace Chief Superintendent Rolando Anduyan as MPD director.

Danao was plucked from the powerful Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), where he served as deputy chief for operations. Prior to this, he served as Davao City police chief alongside then mayor Rodrigo Duterte up to 2016.

In 2014, Danao drew public attention after his wife filed complaints against him for alleged physical and verbal abuse.

He belongs to the Philippine Military Academy Sambisig Class of 1991.

Danao’s appointment comes a week after a sex-for-freedom case rocked the MPD involving a cop who victimized a teenage girl in exchange for the freedom of her detained parents. Months earlier, however, there was already talk in Camp Crame that Danao would replace Anduyan.

Anduyan was moved to the Northern Police District which covers Caloocan, a constant source of headache for the PNP under the Duterte administration because of the number of extrajudicial killings in that city. – Rappler.com