Photo from Father Teresito “Chito” Soganub’s Facebook account
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Fr. Teresito ‘Chito’ Suganob, Vicar-general of the Prelature of Marawi, who survived 117 days of captivity during the Marawi Siege, died in his sleep Wednesday morning July 22 in his home in Norala, South Cotabato.
Bishop Edwin dela Peña of the Marawi Diocese announced Suganob’s death in his social media account, confirming that the priest died of cardiac arrest, and asked the public to offer prayers to the priest.
Fr. Chito, as he is fondly called, would have turned 60 on August 1.
Suganob survived 117 days as captive of the Maute Group during the Marawi Siege from May 23 to September 16, 2017. He managed to escape and was rescued on September 26 but spent two months in the custody of the military before returning to his hometown on November 27, 2017.
READ: Hostage priest Chito Soganub ‘rescued’ in Marawi
After undergoing trauma healing in Norala, Fr. Chito was not given another assignment, nor did he return back to his mission in Marawi City.
Instead, he spent the last three years going around the country for speaking engagements, sharing his experience under the hands of the Maute group and campaigned for peace and dialogue.
He would recalled how he survived and acted as cook and server for the Maute group, and his delivery of his experience draws a mix of laughter and tears on his faith and calm in those times.
Fr. Chito spent 26 years of his priesthood in the prelature of Marawi, sported long hair and beard to integrate himself to the Maranao folk, and championed inter-dialogue among Moro and Christian communities in the city. (davaotoday.com)
