Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III has filed a bill seeking to amend the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (RA 9165), which he originally authored, by proposing the creation of a Presidential Drug Enforcement Authority (PDEA).
The proposed agency would centralize the government’s anti-drug efforts—enforcement, prosecution, prevention, and rehabilitation—under one authority to improve coordination and effectiveness.
Sotto said the 23-year-old law needs an upgrade, noting that enforcement alone is not enough and that prevention and rehabilitation remain under-implemented, especially by the Departments of Education and Health.
He emphasized the urgency of addressing drug abuse for the sake of national peace, security, and future generations.
“There is no best time to cure this social illness than now,” the veteran lawmaker concluded.IMT
