Marcos Jr. names Valenzuela as new DDB chair

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed former Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Oscar Valenzuela as the new chairperson and permanent member of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB).

Valenzuela, a member of the Philippine Military Academy "Marangal" Class of 1974 and a former police officer, replaces Catalino Cuy, who had held the DDB chair position since 2018.

The DDB is the principal policy-making and strategy-formulating body for drug prevention and control in the Philippines, established under Republic Act 9165.

Prior to his new role, Valenzuela served as DILG Undersecretary for Peace and Order and has held key assignments such 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.