President Marcos has appointed retired police general Isagani Nerez as the new director general of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Malacañang said.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed the designation of Nerez on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Nerez replaced retired police general Moro Virgilio Lazo, who had led the agency since October 2022.
In 2022, the President appointed him Undersecretary for Police Affairs at the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Military Affairs.
A lawyer and seasoned law enforcement officer, Nerez held key positions in various units of the Philippine National Police (PNP), including the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER), Directorate for Integrated Police Operations, Eastern Mindanao.
He joined the PNP Special Action Force (SAF), the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF), and the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group.
He also served as the chief of the Baguio City Police Office and later as Chief Superintendent of the Cordillera Police Regional Office.
He is a member of Philippine Military Academy Maharlika Class of 1984.