President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who had a falling out with the Aquinos over political differences, offered her prayers for Kris Aquino as well as her 75-year-old mother.

'The president prays for Kris, especially owing to the fact that she campaigned for her in the 2004 elections,' presidential aide Cerge Remonde said on Wednesday.

Local media reported Kris Aquino, 37, a mother of two and a popular television host, was seven weeks pregnant when she had a miscarriage on Tuesday, a day after she and her brother, a senator, read a statement on nationwide television saying their mother was diagnosed with colon cancer.

The former president has started treatment, but no details have been made available. Her family has asked the media to respect their privacy.

Roman Catholic bishops and political leaders have offered prayers for Mrs Corazon Aquino's recovery, and several masses were held throughout the country.

In a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Kris Aquino said, 'I feel this (miscarriage) is God's way to ensure that I can take care of my Mum.'

A humble housewife propelled to politics by the assassination of her husband in 1983, Mrs Corazon Aquino led a peaceful uprising in 1986 that toppled late president Ferdinand Marcos and became a harbinger of nonviolent protests around the world.

After stepping down in 1992, Mrs Aquino has remained active in social and political causes. Most recently, she has been attending rallies calling for the resignation of Mrs Arroyo over allegations of vote-rigging and corruption. -- AP