Jessica Soho shares near-death experience covering Afghanistan in 2002

Veteran journalist Jessica Soho recalled the time she and her team nearly died in Afghanistan after they flew there for a coverage in 2002.

In a "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho" episode, Soho estimated there were around ten million landmines planted in various parts of the country at that time. They were supposed to join a patrol of American soldiers at the Bagram Air Base when she saw Danish Deminers Group, a deminers office tasked to remove landmines.

She agreed to cover the group since they were also just outside the Bagram Air Base.

"So sabi ko, 'Uy! Tamang-tama!' So nag-usap kami ng producer ko, ni Joy Madrigal. Sabi ko, 'Bago tayo pumunta dun sa loob ng base, i-cover muna natin 'yung mga nagtatanggal ng landmine.'" Soho said.

[So I said, 'That's perfect!' So my producer, Joy Madrigal, and I talked. I told her that we should document the removal of the land mines.']

Before going to the field, the team had to wear protective gear and sign a waiver.

They were also asked if they wanted to join the ambulance, but since they had another shoot at the Bagram Air base, the team refused.

"Kaya ako tumanggi. Pero kung wala siguro 'yun na naka-schedule, baka sumama kami," Soho said.

[That's why I refused. If we didn't have anything scheduled, we would have been on that ambulance.]

Just then, her cameraman wanted to film the vehicle moving away so he placed the camera on the ground for a shot.

Soho recalled thinking that would be the end of their coverage; the ambulance was already carrying away a dead deminer. But then something happened.

"Bigla na lang parang 'boom!' Tapos parang nabingi na ako. Parang na-mute 'yung TV mo o 'yung gadget mo, parang ba't ganito? Tapos parang iba bigla 'yung mundo mo. Parang slow mo ba o—ewan ko, ang hirap ipaliwanag pero naramdaman ko 'yung init, tapos 'yung parang ripples," Soho said.

[All of a sudden, 'boom!' I felt like I went deaf, like your TV or your gadget went on mute. I was confused. All of a sudden, the world changed. It felt like everything was in slow-mo. It's hard to explain but I felt the heat, the ripples.]

Soho said it took a while before they were able to piece together what had just happened.

The ambulance exploded because it ran over an anti-tank landmine, an explosive that would detonate if a heavy vehicle went over it.

"After that time, para kaming tulala," Soho said. "Para kaming mga basang sisiw. Napaupo na lang kami sa isang tabi pero nagpapasalamat na lang ako na walang nangyari sa amin."

[At that time, we didn't know what to do. We just stared blankly ahead. We just sat on the side of the road, but I was very thankful none of us were harmed.]

After the near-death experience, Soho recalled going back to their house and cooking one of the canned goods they had, the best way she could so they could eat something good and familiar.

She added, "It was our way of recovering somehow from the trauma. Parang pinapanatag pa lang namin 'yung mga loob namin (It was like we were trying to calm ourselves)."

Despite the near-death experience, Soho recalled the many faces she interacted with in Afghanistan and worried how they were, now that the Taliban has taken over the country.

When Soho and her team covered the conflict in Afghanistan, American troops had just forced out the Taliban from the country.

Twenty years later—just last week—the Taliban took control of the country again after it invaded its capital, Kabul.

Soho said, "Ang alam lang nilang klase ng buhay, giyera. And even the generations before them. So ayun, nadudurog 'yung puso ko. Ang sakit kasi, parang may link ako sa Afghanistan hanggang ngayon na dala-dala ko. Actually, naiiyak ako kasi naalala ko, na-e-emotional po ako tuwing naalala ko 'yung mga nakita ko sa Afghanistan, at nag-aalala, kumusta na kaya 'yung mga bata?"

[The only life they know is war. My heart breaks for them. It hurts because I feel like I have a link to Afghanistan that I still bring with me until now. My eyes tear up remembering what I saw in Afghanistan and I worry how the children are now.]

"Kumusta na kaya 'yung mga kababaihan na nakapanayam ko? Kumusta na kaya 'yung mga tumulong sa amin, 'yung mga nag-guide sa amin, 'yung interpreter?" she added. "Sana 'yung mga karapatan ng mga kababaihan talagang maisulong o maprotektahan, talagang bibigyan ng kalayaan ang mga babae na makita at marinig."

[How are the women I was able to talk to? How are the people who helped us, the ones who guided us, the interpreter? I hope that women's rights will be protected, that they will be given the freedom to be seen and to be heard.] — Kaela Malig/LA/MGP, GMA News