He was the lone senator absent during the impeachment trial of President Joseph Estrada. When he returned to the Philippines in February 2001, the impeachment trial was over and Estrada was ousted by the second EDSA People Power Revolution. After the 2001 elections, Barbers authored the law creating the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. He was instrumental in the crafting of other laws that increased penalties for "jueteng" protectors and operators and strengthened the anti-drugs campaign, such as including possession of 10 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride as a nonbailable offense. Barbers was a strong advocate of the death penalty for capital offenders. In the 2004 elections, Barbers ran for reelection as senator under the Lakas CMD banner, but lost. He filed an election protest against Senator Rodolfo Biazon to contest the 12th slot, accusing the Commission on Elections of haste in proclaiming the latter's victory and demanding that the poll body await the election results in his strongholds in Mindanao. His petition was eventually denied. Barbers's name was also mentioned in the controversial ""Hello Garci"" tapes. Transcripts of the tapes showed Barbers calling then Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano to ensure his victory in the 2004 elections. Bobby, as Barbers was known to many, was married to Virginia Smith. They had four children, three of whom are sons also named Robert. Robert "Ace" Barbers is the representative of the 2nd district of Surigao del Norte who previously served as governor the same province. Robert Dean Barbers was the Director of the Philippine Tourism Authority and was once a city councilor of Makati. Robert Lyndon Barbers was also a Provincial Governor of Surigao del Norte. Mary Grace Barbers was working in the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) at the time of her father's death. Barbers was a pious devotee of the Santo Niño, as evidenced by the various icons of the child Christ which adorned his office. He credited the Santo Niño for every success, including the criminal cases he had solved and all his electoral victories. Because of his devotion to the child Christ, and for being a law enforcer, Barbers came up with a Santo Niño image dressed in police uniform, which came to be known as the Sto. Niño de Policia. Barbers was twice considered for the position of vice president in the ticket of then presidential candidate de Venecia in 1998, and again in 2004 after Arroyo considered him following her ascension to the presidency after the ouster of Joseph Estrada.