Whether or not President Duterte pulls out of his travel bag a copy of the arbitral decision sustaining the Philippines’ sovereignty over the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea, China must be constantly reminded of the Philippines’ victory.

As Spanish diplomat Salvador De Madariaga has said, the gun that will shoot is more eloquent than the gun which has shot.

It is to the Philippines’ national interest for China to be made always aware that the arbitral decision is the President’s gun that will shoot to set the tone of the bilateral talks.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN