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A nephew of ailing former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino on
Tuesday said that the Aquino family was ready for the worst that
cancer would bring to his aunt.
“As Kris mentioned, the cancer [of the colon
of the former president] is advanced, and even a year ago we already
prepared ourselves for any eventuality,” added Rafael Lopa, also
the executive director of the Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Foundation.
Kris, a television and movie star, is the youngest daughter of the
former president.
Aquino’s son and Sen. Benigno “Noynoy”
Aquino 3rd earlier revealed that his mother’s cancer had spread.
“They [doctors] cannot treat that for now
because she is very weak. We are entrusting everything to God,”
Lopa said after the healing Mass held at Greenbelt chapel in Makati
City (Metro Manila). He added that Aquino’s medical condition
remained unchanged.
Fr. Joseph Alonzo, who said the second of the
nine healing Masses for the patient, described the former president
as a “new living saint” for even in pain she continued to fight
for her family and for the country.
In his homily, Alonzo said the Lord is using the
Philippines’ democracy icon to bring her relatives and friends
together. He added that Aquino is blessed by the love of the Lord
and Mary.
More novena Masses have been offered for the
former president’s fast recovery. Besides the Mass held at
Greenbelt chapel in Makati City, another Mass has been offered at
the Makati City Hall on Tuesday with Makati City Major Jejomar Binay
and city government officials attending.
Aquino, the 76-year-old widow of the Sen.
Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., was brought to the Makati Medical
Center in the city in June after she complained of loss of appetite.
She was diagnosed with having cancer of the
colon in March 2008. She underwent surgery in May 2009 to remove a
portion of her colon afflicted with cancer cells.
-- Cris G. Odronia
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