To rule over the waves

On 12 July, Manila was the global epicentre of news whose waves and ripples have not dissipated since. In a celebrated legal battle many have characterised as the epic clash between David and Goliath, the Philippines overwhelmingly emerged the victor. It was widely acclaimed as the triumph of international law, the great equaliser. It was the exemplary illustration that small, weak states can confidently challenge powerful nations, standing on equal footing with them and bolstered only by the enduring principle that law and right will always triumph and prevail over brute power and might.