MANILA, Philippines -- Just pray for her. That’s the advice of a close family friend to people who wish to visit the ailing former President Corazon Aquino but are not allowed to do so.

Even former First Lady Imelda Marcos, during her 80th birthday celebration, said in a television interview that she was praying for the former President and would visit the nemesis of her husband, the ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos, if allowed.

"I'm sorry because nobody's allowed to visit her, not even us who worked closely with her. Nobody is allowed to visit at this time," said Aquino's former spokesperson Deedee Siytangco after the third healing Mass Friday at the Greenbelt chapel.

"All those who want to visit, we're just asking them to please pray. It's really useless for anyone to try and go to see her," she said.

The 76-year-old Aquino, who is confined in an undisclosed regular room at the Makati Medical Center, is still apparently in serious condition and remains closely guarded by her children.

Siytangco earlier said everybody was welcome to attend the nine-day novena for Cory's quick recovery from colon cancer.

On Friday, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim again joined the prayers and vowed to finish the nine-day novena until Thursday.

"We will finish it kasi marami tayong utang sa kanya, utang na loob ng bayan, sa pagbibigay sa atin ng kalayaan at sa ating tinatamasa ngayon. Kaya sana makaligtas siya dito sa hinaharap na karamdaman (We are indebted to her, the nation is indebted to her. She gave us freedom, that's why I hope she overcomes this disease)," said the former police general who disobeyed orders to clear Edsa during the People Power revolution in 1986.

Justice Flerida Ruth Romero, who led the reading of the novena prayer, said Aquino was a "woman of courage, faith and strength."

"I am most privileged to have worked with her for about five years in Malacañang and I know she is truly a spiritual lady. We take comfort in the thought that the Lord Jesus Christ and Mama Mary and all the angels are around us and hovering around her, bringing her not only comfort but freedom from pain," said Aquino's former special assistant.

Among the new faces who attended were Makati Representative Teodoro Locsin Jr., Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tanada III; Voltaire Gazmin, ex-commander of the Presidential Security Group; and retired Major General Ramon Montano.

Montano, the former commanding general of the Armed Forces Narcotics Command, recalled that the soldiers "mutinied" for the people who were calling for change in 1986.

The 1986 bloodless uprising ended the Marcos dictatorship and restored democracy in the country.

He stressed that they joined the revolution because they believed in Aquino, whom he hailed as the "icon of a very honest governance."

"That was our feeling after so much abuses, so much corruption under the Marcos administration. Maybe change will come, and she represented that change," he said.

"We were not members of the RAM before but we joined because we believed in her, and in the Armed Forces, we were on her side. Even though it was a very unpopular move, we joined her because we believed that she was the right person to lead the country at the time," said Montano.

Meanwhile, Makati police chief, Senior Superintendent Cedrick Train, said his men were on standby to secure the former President and her family from any threat to their privacy.

A radio report claimed Aquino's daughter, Kris, called to complain that an unidentified person was trying to get inside their room but Train said the information turned out to be false.

He said his men were guarding the perimeter of the MMC while security guards took charge of safety inside the hospital.

"We're closely monitoring them since Day 1 because it's standard operating procedure to protect VIPs," said Train.