Marcos appoints new Dangerous Drugs Board chairperson

President Ferdinand "Bongbobg" Marcos Jr. has appointed former Interior and Local Government Undersecretary for Peace and Order Oscar Valenzuela as the new chairperson of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), the Presidential Communications Office announced on Friday.

Valenzuela will serve as the chairperson and a permanent member of the DDB, replacing Catalino Cuy, who has held the position since 2018.

Under Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, the DDB is responsible for formulating policies and strategies for drug prevention and control.

The DDB is mandated to develop and adopt a comprehensive, integrated, unified, and balanced national drug abuse prevention and control strategy.

Valenzuela is a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Marangal” Class of 1974 and a former police officer.

He has held key assignments, including serving as Police Assistant Regional Director for Operations of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Police Provincial Director of Ilocos Norte.

After retiring from the Philippine National Police, Valenzuela led the National Terrorism Prevention Office under the Anti-Terrorism Council Program Management Center and served as chairperson of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Counter-Terrorism Working Group.

He also led the Philippine delegation to the 2015 White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism in Washington, D.C.

As Undersecretary for Peace and Order at the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Valenzuela supported various initiatives under the National Anti-Drug Strategy, including the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s Anti-Drug Advocacy Program.

He has consistently stressed the importance of a holistic and multi-sectoral approach to combating illegal drugs, focusing on reducing demand, disrupting supply chains, and prioritizing the rehabilitation and reintegration of drug dependents into society.