BACOLOD CITY -- Two former Negros Occidental governors and a nephew of former President Corazon Aquino are praying for her recovery from colon cancer and wish that she be spared further pain.

Mrs. Aquino has been confined at the Makati Medical Center for over a week due to loss of appetite, shortly after she underwent surgery to cure the colon cancer.

"We can only pray to the Lord for her immediate recovery and to shield her from pain as she has suffered so much all her life," former Negros Occidental Gov. Daniel Lacson said on Thursday.

Lacson, a close friend of Mrs. Aquino, was the governor of Negros Occidental when she was the President.

Rafael Coscolluela, administrator of the Sugar Regulatory Administration and also a former governor of Negros Occidental, said, "I pray that she will recover quickly and regain her health, so that she can continue to serve as a source of moral strength, courage and inspiration during these trying times."

He said that he hoped that she would be spared further pain and discomfort if it were God’s will for Mrs. Aquino to go.

Mrs. Aquino's nephew, Rep. Mark Cojuangco, empathized with his cousins.

"Being a son, I can imagine what Noynoy and his sisters must be going through. I empathize with them. I pray that they be given the strength to overcome this difficult time in their lives. I also pray that my Aunt Cory be spared from unnecessary pain and that God's peace will be in her heart," Cojuangco said.