PDEA Faces Dissolution as Sotto Pushes for Centralized Drug Authority
PDEA – Senator Vicente Sotto III is pushing for a sweeping reform in the country’s drug war, starting with the abolition of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III has proposed a major overhaul of the country’s anti-drug campaign by filing a bill that seeks to amend the 23-year-old Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The veteran lawmaker is pushing for the abolition of the PDEA and the establishment of a new, more centralized body—the Presidential Drug Enforcement Authority.
Sotto’s proposed measure aims to unify and strengthen the government’s campaign against illegal drugs and substance abuse through a single agency that would oversee enforcement, prosecution, prevention, and rehabilitation efforts. This shift aims to enhance coordination among government units and close longstanding gaps in implementation.
“The law, as presently formulated, needs retrofitting, so to speak, like any structure or machine in constant use for 23 years now,” Sotto said, emphasizing the need to modernize the legal framework that underpins the country’s anti-drug policies.
He further explained the importance of placing enforcement efforts under more structured supervision. “Supervision of enforcement activities is desirable to map out policies for more effective anti-illegal drugs campaigns,” he added.
Sotto also pointed out that the government’s current focus remains heavily tilted toward enforcement, often neglecting equally crucial components such as prevention and rehabilitation. These aspects, he noted, are primarily under the responsibility of the Department of Education and the Department of Health, yet remain underdeveloped and poorly coordinated.
The senator argued that peace, public safety, and national economic progress are all interconnected with how the country addresses illegal drug use. He called for a more holistic and integrated response to this ongoing challenge.
“There is no best time to cure this social illness than now,” he said, urging his colleagues to consider the creation of a stronger, centralized authority capable of delivering results across all fronts of the anti-drug campaign.
Sotto’s bill is expected to spark debate in the Senate as lawmakers review the future of the nation’s anti-drug strategy.
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