Teacher gets 160 years for molesting student

MANILA, Philippines - A Cebu public school teacher has been sentenced to 160 years in jail for sexually abusing his student four times in 1997 when the victim was 14 years old.

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman yesterday announced that it has secured the conviction of Edgardo Potot, who used to teach at the Pajo National High School in Lapu-Lapu City.

Records of the case show that Potot, who remains at large, sexually molested the student, then a high school sophomore, four times from July to August 1997.

In his decision, Judge Eric Menchavez of the Lapu-Lapu City regional trial court found Potot guilty of violating Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

The victim, according to the court, gave a clear and convincing account of the sexual advances of Potot against him.

Potot was sentenced to suffer 40 years in jail or reclusion perpetua for each of the four criminal counts against him. 

He was also ordered to pay the victim P15,000 in moral damages and a fine of P15,000 for each count, or a total of P120,000.

Potot was also previously convicted in three other criminal cases involving similar offenses, according to the Office of the Ombudsman.