The First Family called for prayers for First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo who was undergoing what doctors called a "very high-risk surgery" as of press time for a "dissecting aortic aneurysm" at the St. Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City.

The operation started at about 6:30 last night and was expected to last about 10 hours, his doctor Juliet Gopez-Cervantes said.

"We eventually diagnosed him to have dissecting aortic aneurysm," Cervantes said.

"He is now undergoing very high-risk surgery," a medical bulletin released last night said.

His condition was caused by hypertension, she said.

Rep. Ignacio Arroyo Jr. (Neg. Occ., 5th district) said at 12:10 a.m. today that his brother's operation was at its most critical stage and their family was holding a healing mass as they waited at the hospital.

The prayers of many are helping us, he said.

The operation was expected to last another four hours from midnight, he said.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was doing well and was very calm, he also said.*CPG

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