Preparing for Francis: Do’s and don’ts for Filipinos

What should the nation do to prepare for the January 15-19 visit of Pope Francis? Definitely not what Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos did for John Paul II’s first trip to the Philippines.

The dictator officially lifted martial law nine months before the future saint’s October 1981 visit. But he retained many authoritarian powers, while effectively exercising lawmaking powers through a subservient legislature and enjoying pro-government coverage from a mostly controlled or co-opted mainstream media. (Sounds familiar?)