Father Teresito "Chito" Soganub, the priest that was abducted by the Maute terrorist group in Marawi in 2017, has passed away on Wednesday due to cardiac arrest.
Marawi Bishop Edwin Dela Pena announced the sad news in his Facebook page.
"It is with great sadness that we make this announcement, in behalf of the Prelature of Marawi. Our dearly beloved Fr. Teresito Soganub died of cardiac arrest in his sleep early this morning, July 22, 2020 in his home in Noralah, South Cotabato," he said.
Dela Pena asked everyone to include the priest in their prayers.
The Aid to the Church in Need also asked for prayers for the former Vicar-General of the Prelature of Marawi.
Soganub presided the Mass for the Red Wednesday campaign of ACN at the Manila Cathedral in 2018 to pay tribute to Christian martyrs.
In his homily, Soganub said he felt privileged to have been given the chance to preside the Mass for the occasion being a victim of persecution himself during the Marawi siege.
"As a direct victim of persecution, as I have experience being hostaged, being a human shield of a rebel group it was so hard. That’s why I’m very passionate when we celebrate this Red Wednesday because I knew from the heart when you are a victim of persecution. It’s not only your eyes that will cry, your heart, your soul, your entire being because you don’t know what to do. You cannot do anything except to pray," he said.
When placed in that situation, the priest admitted that it would be hard to see the presence of God with the bullets and airstrikes.
Soganub said he even personally bargained to God to make a miracle.
"I prayed hoping the Lord will grant my prayer. Hoping he will answer me directly but I failed. It was not given. It was not granted," he said.
The priest said he later realized that he was wrong.
"I could not see the presence of God because fear swallowed me. Because imminent death and the trauma are covering my eyes not to see the wonders of God and his direct protection. I fail to realized that it’s more than a month…I survived," said Soganub.