'We do this for our country'

He doesn't regret having a shattered left ankle, caused by a hail of bullets unleashed by retreating Muslim rebel forces in Matanog, Maguindanao.

"We do this for the country," said Army Cpl. Edgardo Agsaway, who, five days ago, was one of the thousands deployed to seize Camp Abubakar.

"Even if many soldiers die, we should not stop until we get Camp Abu-bakar," he said of the government's campaign to capture the main stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Agsaway told The STAR from his hospital bed at the AFP Medical Center in Quezon City that the government committed a big mistake in 1997, when the military was about to seize the rebel camp but was ordered by Malacañang to stop for the sake of peace.

Now, he points out, Camp Abubakar is heavily fortified.

"More will die now because the camp is harder to penetrate," Agsaway said.

"I wish Abubakar will be taken so the MILF won't strut and there will be genuine peace," he said. "There will be fighting as long as the rebels are there."

Agsaway is lucky to have only a shattered ankle.

Army Scout Ranger Sgt. Armando Villanueva lost both his legs when he stepped on an improvised land mine while carrying a wounded comrade.

Villanueva was one of the several elite troopers tasked to free 21 hostages being held by the Abu Sayyaf in Jolo, Sulu.

"The Abu Sayyaf are the worst kind of terrorists. They do not have a heart for they kidnap children," he said while he lay in bed. "I don't think anybody could be more evil than them."

Villanueva and his men were at Mt. Punoh Mohadje when they were ambushed by about 200 bandits.

It took the military about six hours before he was moved out by reinforcements.

At the other face of the steep mountain, another team of Scout Rangers were battling the same number of rebels.

According to Corporal Rick Asejo, they started the ascent on Good Friday. On the morning of Easter Sunday, he said his team -- which was only about 20 meters away from the rebel camp -- was spotted by a rebel lookout.

"Ayun ... pinaulanan na kami ng bala at mga mortar," Asejo said.

It was in this gunbattle that he lost his left foot from an exploding mortar. "Ang dami nilang mortar," he said. "Meron pa silang caliber .50 machinegun." (They had a lot of mortars, even a machine gun).

The three wounded soldiers said the rebels are nothing but a bunch of cowards.

"Mga duwag naman sila. Kikidnap para hindi makalapit ang militar, tapos iiwanan din nila yung kampo nila," Agsaway said. (They are nothing but cowards who use hostages as their shield, then they leave their camps just the same).