Priest escapes from IS
A CATHOLIC priest kidnapped by Islamic State supporters when they seized parts of a southern Philippine city nearly four months ago smiled and declared himself strong yesterday after escaping.
Father Teresito Suganob called for prayers at a news conference at military headquarters in Manila after he was rescued late on Saturday when the military said it overran the militants’ control centre inside a mosque in Marawi city.
Hundreds of gunmen rampaged through Marawi, the main Muslim city in the mostly Catholic Philippines, on May 23 and then occupied key districts in what authorities said was an attempt to establish a Southeast Asian base for IS in the Philippines.
More than 850 people have been killed and large parts of Marawi destroyed in the ensuing fighting, which has seen the gunmen defy a US-backed military campaign that has included heavy bombing. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte imposed martial law across the southern region of Mindanao in response to the crisis.
Authorities said the roles of dozens of IS hostages included carrying the gunmen’s food and ammunition, serving as stretcher- bearers for their wounded, collecting munitions and even acting as human shields.
Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Suganob and another hostage, a school teacher whose surname was Acopio, 29, were able to escape late on Saturday night as the militants pulled out of a mosque following hours of fighting.
He described this as an important victory and predicted an end to the crisis soon.