BAGUIO CITY — A local court has sentenced a Roman Catholic priest to multiple life terms for the rape of a 16-year-old student-scholar.

On Thursday, 18 December, Judge Modesto D. Bahul Jr. of the Baguio City Regional Trial Court Branch 2 found Father Mark Batolne guilty beyond reasonable doubt of three counts of rape. The court sentenced Batolne to reclusion perpetua, which carries a prison term of 20 to 40 years, for each count.

The court ruling noted that two of the assaults were aggravated by the use of a deadly weapon. The incidents occurred in March 2023 inside a room at the Diocese of Baguio compound, where the victim was residing. Batolne, who served as finance administrator of the Diocese and general manager of the Mountain Province Broadcasting Company, denied the charges, citing his busy schedule. However, the court found the victim’s testimony credible.

Batolne remained at large for nearly a year after the arrest warrant was issued and surrendered to authorities in June 2024.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Batolne to pay the victim a total of P675,000 in civil indemnity, moral damages, and exemplary damages for the three counts, plus interest. He will remain detained at the Baguio City Jail pending transfer to a national penitentiary.

Batolne’s conviction adds to the documented history of Philippine courts prosecuting members of the clergy for sexual offenses. While the Catholic Church has often faced criticism for its internal handling of such cases, several high-profile convictions have been handed down over the past two decades.

Among the most publicized was the case of Monsignor Arnel Lagarejos of the Diocese of Antipolo, who was arrested in 2017 and convicted in 2021 for labor trafficking related to the sexual exploitation of a 13-year-old girl, resulting in a life sentence. Another landmark ruling was the 2004 Supreme Court decision affirming the conviction of Father Hector Bondoc for the rape of a minor in Pampanga, which established a significant precedent on the criminal liability of priests in secular courts.

Similarly, in 2013, Father Jovito Galit of Legazpi was convicted of multiple counts of acts of lasciviousness and sexual assault against an altar boy, receiving a lengthy prison term and an order to pay damages.

Legal experts note that while cases involving clergy previously faced delays or informal settlements facilitated by local parishes, the Batolne ruling reflects a continuing shift toward the strict application of the Revised Penal Code and Republic Act No. 7610. This trend underscores a growing judicial commitment to protecting children from abuse, regardless of a defendant’s religious standing or professional position.