Tabuk barangay leader calls for end to out-of-court rape settlements

TABUK CITY — A barangay leader has stressed that all serious crimes must be prosecuted through the judicial system.

Barangay Ipil leader Tolentino Batalao has called for an end to the practice of settling rape cases out of court, saying private settlements allow perpetrators to avoid legal consequences and pose a safety risk to the community.

He noted that previous rape cases in the barangay had been quietly mediated by local elders without the knowledge of village authorities. Batalao made the statement during a program on the revitalization of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) and the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT).

Batalao ordered elders to stop mediating sexual assault cases immediately and refer all future incidents to law enforcement authorities and the courts.

The local government of Tabuk City expressed support for Batalao’s stance, noting a strong link between heinous offenses and illegal drug use in the area.