ICC Note: Father Teresito Soganub was captured along with dozens of church workers in Marawi siege in the southern Philippines a year ago today. The siege initiated by Maute terrorists last five months and left to the death of hundreds of civilians. The city has slowly begun reconstruction, yet Father Soganub is still recovering psychologically and is on a journey for forgiveness.  

05/23/2018 Philippines (UCA News) – A year after his abduction by terrorist gunmen, Catholic priest Teresito Soganub, who used to be the vicar-general of the Prelature of Marawi, is on a journey for forgiveness.

The priest admitted that during his four-month ordeal in the hands of the Islamic State-inspired terrorists he embraced Islam and collected ammunition for them.

“I was a captive,” said the priest. “I was not afraid to die, but I was afraid to suffer,” he said in what sounded like a confession days before the first anniversary of the attack on May 23.

He admitted feeling a “sense of uncertainty” despite being told that he would not be killed. “I did not know what would happen,” he said, adding that during that time his only concern was to live.

Father Soganub said there was even a point during those trying times that he had doubts about his faith and questioned God’s wisdom.

“I was angry with God for putting me in such a horrible situation. However, my faith in the Lord did not waiver. In fact it even became deeper,” he said.

“I prayed more feverishly than I used to do with death staring us straight in the face. Anytime, a bomb or a bullet could hit anyone of us during the fierce fighting between the two sides,” the priest added.

During his captivity, Father Soganub was forced to attend lectures about the terrorists’ cause. He soon got to know his captors who claimed to be members of the so-called Islamic State.

When one of the terrorists died, the priest said he felt sad. “You cannot avoid feeling human even when the enemy dies. We transcend from being a captive and a hostage taker,” he said.

Terrorist gunmen captured him and several church workers at Marawi cathedral on May 23, the first day of fighting.

The gunmen took 30 people from the cathedral offices, tore down and desecrated icons and other sacred images and set fire to the building.

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