Bishop lays out plan for Fr. Chito’s recovery process

MANILA— A Catholic bishop said Fr. Teresito “Chito” Suganob will undergo a post-captivity reintegration process, as he hopes for the priest’s complete recovery and resume active priestly ministry.

Bishop Edwin dela Peña of Marawi could not say how long the process would take but said the prelature has laid out plan for the priest’s reintegration.

“After his debriefing, the prelature has prepared a program for his rest, recuperation, healing, and gradual reintegration into the ministry of interfaith dialogue in Marawi City, his original mission as priest,” he said.

The bishop met with Suganob on Monday afternoon at Camp Aguinaldo for the first after the priest’s liberation but he said what transpired during the meeting “is only something between us for now”.

Suganob, who was abducted by the Maute group when they occupied Marawi nearly four months ago, was rescued by the military when it overran the terrorists’ control center inside a mosque late Saturday.

The priest, commonly known as “Father Chito”, was presented to the media at the military headquarters on Sunday.

He said he was not harmed by his abductors during his captivity, as he asked the public to pray for him.

“Pray for me, for my recovery,” Suganob said.

The priest’s freedom also gave Dela Peña’s hope for the release of other hostages, including some workers of the prelature.

He said that while they are thankful, “we cannot say that we are happy, knowing that there are still many hostages that remain in captivity”.

“We are very hopeful that Fr. Chito’s release is just the first step, and will be followed by the rescue of the other hostages, many of them women,” Dela Peña said.

“We are hopeful that soon the war will be over and that the Maranaos can begin to go back home and rebuild their lives and rehabilitate their city,” he said. CBCPNews