FORMER allies-turned-foes and a foe-turned-friend were among the many people who continued to storm heaven with prayers on the second novena day for the recovery of a seriously-ailing former President Corazon Aquino.

In separate interviews, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Gregorio Honasan, who broke away from then-President Aquino after helping pave the way for her assumption to the presidency following a civilian-backed military revolt that toppled the late President Ferdinand Marcos in Edsa, also offered prayers for Mrs. Aquino’s recovery.

“I would pray for her and hope that the Lord will embrace her, if it should come to that, and if there’s any way for a miracle to happen, I wish that it would happen,” Enrile said. “I’ve had my political differences with Cory during her time as president but that is a part of our role in society, nothing personal about it,” Enrile added. “On a personal basis, I’ve always had a high respect for her.”

Honasan said: “We join our colleague Sen. Noynoy Aquino in asking for prayers for former President Aquino.”

Both Enrile and Honasan were charged with alleged involvement in failed coup attempts against Mrs. Aquino during her incumbency.

Estrada attends Mass

At the noonday Mass at Greenbelt chapel in Makati City, one of those who attended was former President Joseph Estrada, whose ouster Mrs. Aquino had called for in the rallies that led to his leaving Malacañang in January 2001, allowing then-Vice President Gloria Arroyo to rise to power.

Mrs. Aquino later said, when she started joining rallies denouncing misrule under Mrs. Arroyo in 2005, that she regretted her role in replacing Estrada with Arroyo.

Estrada said he never held any rancor against Mrs. Aquino for what she did.

Mrs. Arroyo was reported to have offered prayers as well on Thursday. Asked whether Mrs. Arroyo has forgotten about Mrs. Aquino’s criticism against the Chief Executive’s alleged support for House Resolution 1109 to extend her stay in power, Deputy Presidential Adviser Anthony Golez said, “That specific [incident] I don’t know, but in a general sense, the President is very forgiving.”

Sen. Benigno Aquino III said his mother had been “battling [colon] cancer with much courage” for the past year and a half.

“Her current hospitalization was necessary because of her loss of appetite, caused by fluid buildup in her stomach area,” Senator Aquino reported on Thursday, adding that members of the Aquino family “remain in complete trust in God’s infinite healing power.”

In a statement, the senator said the Aquino family also wishes to thank the Filipino people for their prayers and the “outpouring of love and concern for our mother.”

“She has and always will be a woman of faith, a fighter, a source of hope and inspiration for all of us, not just her family but our entire nation as well,” Senator Aquino added. “Just like she has always taught us by her life’s example, we entrust everything to God.”

For his part, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said: “Few have contributed so much for the democratic space Filipinos now possess. Let us all pray for the turnaround of Cory’s condition and her recovery. Now that the institutions of that democracy have been weakened by continuous and continuing assaults by the powers that be, all the more does the nation need her uncompromising faith in democracy and her unflinching advocacy for good governance.” (With Butch Fernandez)