President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed long-time Assistant Director Medardo de Lemos as the new director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles announced on Monday.

“Director De Lemos rose from the ranks and his appointment as NBI Director is a strong indication of President Marcos’ commitment in strengthening the system of ‘meritocracy’ in the promotion, placement and hiring of government personnel,” Cruz-Angeles said.

De Lemos, a lawyer and career officer who had been with the NBI for more than 30 years, was earlier designated NBI officer-in-charge (OIC) by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.

He replaced Eric Distor, who was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte last March.

An attached agency of the DOJ, the NBI is mandated to investigate or assist in the investigation of major crimes in the country.

De Lemos has been with the NBI for 37 years and is the bureau’s most senior officer.

He graduated from the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law in 1983 and from the NBI Academy in Tagaytay in 1985.

De Lemos obtained a Career Executive Service Officer Rank (CESO) in 2003.

Part of De Lemos’ accomplishments as an NBI official is the crafting of the bureau’s Rules of Engagement which defined the policy on the use of deadly force in its enforcement operations.

He is also a regular lecturer at the Philippine Judicial Academy on the use of deadly force in the security training for Judges.

De Lemos’ biggest accomplishment in the bureau was the busting of the notorious Alvin Flores robbery group in 2009 when he was still regional director of the NBI’s Central Visayas Regional Office.

The newly-appointed NBI director was also once designated as the agency’s OIC in 2013 under then-Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. This was after former NBI chief Nonnatus Rojas resigned in September 2013.

De Lemos was replaced by Virgilio Mendez less than four months later. (PNA)