Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III has called for sweeping amendments to Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, alongside a proposal to establish a Presidential Drug Enforcement Authority (PRDEA), following a rise in drug-related acquittals in recent years.

In a privilege speech delivered on February 11, 2026, Sotto revealed that from July 2022 to December 2025, a total of 4,296 drug cases were dismissed despite authorities seizing illegal drugs valued at around ₱100 billion. He attributed many of these dismissals to technical lapses tied to the law’s strict chain of custody requirement, noting that the Philippines is the only country in the region with such a rigid statutory rule.

Sotto emphasized that the country’s anti-drug strategy must be anchored on four pillars: prevention, enforcement, prosecution, and rehabilitation. While enforcement efforts continue, he said prevention programs are largely absent from school curricula, and rehabilitation initiatives have not received sufficient focus.

To address legal and operational gaps, Sotto proposed amending Section 21 of RA 9165 to expand the acceptable witnesses in drug operations. Instead of limiting them to the current required categories, he suggested allowing the use of body-worn cameras or ordinary citizens as credible witnesses to strengthen evidence integrity and reduce case dismissals.

He also advocated for the creation of PRDEA, a centralized authority that would integrate enforcement, prosecution, prevention, and rehabilitation efforts under one structure. According to Sotto, this whole-of-government reform is necessary to balance due process with effective law enforcement and to modernize the country’s fight against illegal drugs.