“Thank heaven for a man who makes up his mind,” says M to James Bond in Moonraker. Which isn’t prosaic at all. A lot hinges on knowing what one wants and in the realm of international policy, this could ultimately mean success or failure. The same is true in what lies before us in the West Philippine Sea. The Marcos Administration, taking a firmer stand against China’s attempted encroachment of our territories, initiated “assertive transparency” towards the regional bully. It did attain some success, particularly in shedding light over the arrogant international law violations of the latter. But transparency is not a strategy but a tactic. And clearly, it’s not a goal. Of this Lucio Blanco Pitlo III made a cogent observation.

Gatdula, J. (2024, July 12). The West Philippine Sea: The means should follow the end. BusinessWorld, p. S1/7.