Marawi siege hero, ceasefire broker dies

The peace activist and Maranao leader who saved hundreds of trapped civilians in Marawi City during the 2017 siege died on Tuesday, May 25, due to a lingering illness.

Agakhan Sharief, 49, popularly known in Marawi and Lanao del Sur as “Bin Laden” because of his resemblance to the late al-Qaeda militant organization founder, died of liver cirrhosis at around 1:25 am at the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi City.

Sharief is remembered for his role in saving many civilians during the Marawi siege by brokering a shaky ceasefire between the military and the Maute Group. He then went around the city, calling on trapped civilians who hid in houses to come out and search for safer ground.

Tirmizy Esmael Abdullah, Interfaith Cooperation Forum (ICF) national coordinator, said a small group of friends gathered outside the hospital as Sharief fought for his life in the intensive care unit where he was rushed a week ago.

“His heart finally gave up at around 1:25 am. We are grieving the loss of a great street parliamentarian,” Abdullah said.

Abdullah said Sharief had suffered from liver cirrhosis, and complained about it for years.

“Sharief was already sickly when he spearheaded the rescue of Marawi residents trapped in the fighting,” Abdullah said.

Drieza Lininding, head of the Moro Consensus Group, said Sharief was buried Tuesday morning in a place called “Heaven,” overlooking Marawi City, in keeping with Muslim tradition. – Rappler.com