It was Cardinal Rosales who used something equivalent to this phrase earlier this year, when it was reported the administration might include the reproductive health bill pending in Congress as one of its priority bills. (The phrase itself is much older, dating from the 1850s.) The Cardinal’s exact words were: “You don’t have to dictate...

Much hype has been made of the surge in remittances from overseas Filipinos – and quite understandably. It has kept the external current account in decent shape, eased the debt burden, boosted the peso, tamed inflation, and contributed to a generally rosy picture of the economy. These positive outcomes had encouraged the previous government to...