Senate Minority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III has filed a bill seeking to amend the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (Republic Act 9165), a law he principally authored.

The proposed legislation aims to establish a new centralized body to strengthen the nation’s fight against illegal drugs and drug abuse.

Sotto’s bill calls for the creation of a Presidential Drug Enforcement Authority (PDEA) — a new agency that seeks to consolidate the country’s anti-drug efforts by placing enforcement, prosecution, prevention and rehabilitation under a single umbrella, directly supervised by the Office of the President.

Sotto stated this structural reform is designed to enhance efficiency and ensure a more holistic and coordinated approach to addressing illegal drugs and drug abuse.

“The law, as presently formulated, needs retrofitting, so to speak, like any structure or machine in constant use for 23 years now,” Sotto said. “Supervision of enforcement activities is desirable to map out policies for more effective anti-illegal drugs campaigns.”

The veteran lawmaker noted that while enforcement has often been prioritized in the past, prevention and rehabilitation efforts remain largely under-implemented.

He cited the Department of Education and the Department of Health as agencies that have struggled to fulfill their mandates in these areas.

Sotto stressed the importance of a balanced and sustained anti-drug strategy, calling for urgent reforms to avoid repeating past shortcomings.

“It is the goal of every nation and generation to have peace and order to bring out security, harmony and economic stability,” said Sotto. “All these so we may achieve a drug-free Philippines for the future generations. There is no best time to cure this social illness than now.”

If passed, the measure would mark a significant reorganization of the government’s anti-drug apparatus. The proposed Authority would serve as the lead agency coordinating all aspects of the country’s drug policy, absorbing the policy-making and strategy-formulating functions of the current Dangerous Drugs Board and dissolving the existing Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.