Cory undergoes operation at Makati hospital

MANILA, Philippines - Former President Corazon Aquino on Monday morning underwent operation to remove a part of her colon affected with cancer at the Makati Medical Center, her son, Senator Benigno Simeon Aquino III said. "When I had to leave for the session [of the Senate], the doctors had just finished the procedure and they were bringing my mom to a room," Aquino told reporters, indicating that the operation ended in the early afternoon. Mrs. Aquino, who was installed president following a people-backed military uprising in 1986, is 76 years old. She was diagnosed of the illness in March 2008. Senator Aquino said he cannot comment on the procedure due to the technical jargon from the doctors that he heard. He said it will be her sister, television host Kris Aquino who will be giving the media briefing. "We have agreed that since they were staying together with Viel [Victoria Elisa, one of his siblings), they will be the ones, primarily Kris, who will deliver a briefing," the senator said. "Since this is an operation, you don’t have the results the instant after it's done. There are still observations that have to be done. I understand that will take three days," he added. Aquino said that with her mother’s age, it is difficult for her to undergo an operation but he believed that Mrs. Aquino will be able to surpass it. "Yun nga hindi naman bata ang nanay ko [pero] parang totoo nga [ang] sinasabi niya sa akin, better health pa siya than me [My mom is no longer young but I believe there is still some truth to her statement that she is in better health than I am]," he said. He said he was able to talk to her mother Saturday after they attended Mass. He said Mrs. Aquino was on a partial fasting then. "She was the one who decided [on the operation]. Ready na siya for this, full spectrum ng treatment [she is now ready for full spectrum treatment]," Aquino said. He said his grandmother, Doña Metring [Demetria Sumulong] also had the same health problem as Mrs Aquino. - GMANews.TV