Vicente Danao

Vicente "Vic" Dupa Danao Jr. (born August 10, 1967) is a retired Filipino law enforcement officer and former commander of Area Police Command-Western Mindanao. Danao was with the Philippine National Police for over 29 years and served as Officer-in-Charge of the Philippine National Police from May to August 2022, deputy chief for operations, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office from 2020 until 2022, deputy director for operations of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, as task force commander under the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs, and as chief of police in two cities and two regions. His longest term as police chief was between October 2013 and June 2016 in Davao City.

Early life and education Danao is a native of Nueva Vizcaya and was born on August 10, 1967. He was raised in Bayombong and attended Saint Mary's College where he completed his high school education in 1984. The suspension order was subsequently reversed by the Court Appeals after a petition was filed.

Danao then moved up to the Davao Region Police Regional Office XI and took up the post of Deputy Director for Operation in 2007. He also served as the region's chief of the Security Agencies and Group Supervisions Division in the same year. Danao held three more posts at the regional office before returning to the Davao City Police Office in 2013: Director of the PRO11 Regional Mobile Group (2008–2009); Deputy Director for Logistics Research and Development (2009–2011); and Director for Logistics Research and Development (2011–2013). The Court of Appeals rejected the Ombudsman decision in July 2010 and lifted the suspension order after it found that the Ombudsman committed grave abuse of discretion when it used raw statistics despite the absence of evidence pointing to police neglect. In March 2012, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales ordered a fine equivalent to a month's salary against Danao and 20 other police officers for neglect of duty in connection with the same complaint filed by the movement.

In October 2013, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte chose Danao as Davao City's new police chief to replace Ronald dela Rosa who transferred to Quezon City after being appointed as head of the PNP Intelligence Group. In September 2014, Danao figured in a domestic abuse controversy with his wife, Susie Danao. Videos of Danao beating his wife circulated on social media which led to the filing of a complaint and a temporary suspension. He was reinstated to his post one month later after being cleared in an investigation. Danao served as Davao police chief until the end of Mayor Duterte's term in June 2016. He then transferred to the nation's capital and served as Chief of the Manila Police District beginning November 2018 where he received his promotion to Police Chief Superintendent equivalent to Brigadier General rank. In November 2018, he said "If I discover anyone involved in drugs especially those who distribute and destroy them, I will kill you." As Manila police chief, Danao ordered the suspension of at least 15 cops with alleged ties to illegal drugs and laid a murder charge against a Sampaloc barangay captain who was an alleged drug lord.

Danao was then assigned with the Police Regional Office IV-A based in Calamba, Laguna in October 2019. As Calabarzon police chief, he is credited for the surrender of 131 Communist rebels operating in indigenous tribe lands in Rizal, Quezon and Laguna provinces in July 2020. On November 10, 2020, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año announced Danao's formal designation as Chief of the National Capital Region Police Office.

In March 2022, he was designated as the chief of PNP Directorial Staff. Upon his designation, he was promoted as police lieutenant general. In May 2, 2022, he was promoted as deputy chief of operations. In May 8, upon retirement of PGen. Dionardo Carlos, Pres. Duterte announced Danao's formal designation as Officer-in-Charge of the Philippine National Police. Danao is among the "Davao Boys", a small circle of Duterte's trusted associates, which included police officers who were previously posted to Davao and later tasked to implement the nationwide drug war, and afterwards given choice government assignments.

On February 13, 2026, the International Criminal Court included Danao among eight indirect co-perpetrators in the crimes against humanity case against president Duterte during the Philippine drug war.

Key positions City director, Davao City Police Office Deputy director, PNP CIDG Director, Manila Police District Regional director, Police Regional Office 4A CALABARZON Regional director, NCRPO Chief of directorial Staff Deputy chief PNP for Operations Officer-in-charge, PNP (concurrent capacity) Commander, Area Police Command - Western Mindanao

Awards Danao received the Medalya ng Kadakilaan (PNP Heroism Medal) for his leadership and outstanding performance in the successful rescue of an Indian kidnapped victim in Davao City in April 2015. He also received three separate commendations from the Mayor of Davao City for the arrest of suspects in the killing of businessman Ramon Garcia in June 2014, and for solving the Matina massacre in New Lanzona Village and the arrest of the Balbacua gang members involved in the killing of a foreigner during his tenure as Talomo police chief.