BY GERARD NAVAL
FORMER President Corazon Aquino on Saturday
attended the first day of the Our Lady of Fatima novena for
her swift recovery at the St. Joseph Adoration Convent in
Quezon City, her first public appearance since she was
diagnosed with colon cancer last March.
Aquino's presence was a cause for joy for
the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the
Philippines (AMRSP) which said it has been praying for her
early recovery.
AMRSP executive secretary Sr. Estrella
Castalone said they are glad that the health of Aquino is
continuously improving.
"She has always been in our prayers. We
believe it is just a matter of her getting back to her healthy
normal self," she said.
Aquino has been an active proponent in the
call of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines for
communal action for truth and accountability by organizing a
series of masses in schools and cities.
Castalone said: "It would be so much better
if she could rejoin us but we feel that we are not worthy of
inviting her because this is her advocacy. This is her
brainchild. We merely carried on what she started."
"We continue to look up to her in her continuous crusade
for truth and accountability despite her health condition. She
encourages us to sacrifice for truth and justice and we hope
that we could also eventually encourage others to join this
crusade she started," Castalone said.
