Robert Beltran is a Filipino lawyer who is currently working as an Attorney for the Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines. He got his Master of Laws (LLM) in National Security Law & Cybersecurity Law from George Washington University Law School. Prior to that, Robert got his Juris Doctor from San Beda College Alabang School of Law, and his Bachelor of Arts in Consular & Diplomatic Affairs from De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde. Before working for the government, Robert worked for a Makati-based law firm primarily practicing civil, criminal, and commercial litigation. In 2021, Robert’s article entitled “Termination of the R.P. – U.S. Visiting Forces Agreement: It’s Legality and Impact on the Maritime Dispute in the West Philippine Sea” was published by the University of Santo Tomas Law Review. Robert may be a lawyer by profession but his true passions are history and geopolitics.

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COL XERXES A TRINIDAD PA (MNSA) currently serves as Chief of the Public Affairs Office of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), where he leads strategic communication and public information efforts in support of the AFP’s mission.

A seasoned Infantry Officer of the Philippine Army, he has extensive operational and leadership experience in combat and non-combat assignments, with expertise in Civil-Military Operations and Public Affairs. Before his current post, he served as Army Spokesperson and Army Chief Public Affairs, overseeing media engagement, public communication, and information strategies of the Philippine Army.

He previously served as Assistant Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations (G7) of the 4th Infantry Division and Commanding Officer of the 36th Infantry Battalion, leading troops in security and stability operations.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy “Marilag” Class of 1995, COL TRINIDAD is a professionally trained Scout Ranger and Airborne Paratrooper. He holds a Master in National Security Administration from the National Defense College of the Philippines, completed the Command and General Staff Course under the AFP Education, Training, and Doctrine Command, and earned a Master in Public Management major in Development Security from the Development Academy of the Philippines. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Philippine Military Academy.

COL TRINIDAD’s combined operational, leadership, and communication experience contributes to strengthening public trust, transparency, strategic communication, and civil-military cooperation in support of national security.

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ASG Markk Perete is a member of the Law of the Sea Committee of the Office fo the Solicitor General. In such capacity, he provides advisory, litigation and other legal services to the Republic in maritime and law of the sea concerns.

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Major Dianne Despi is a member of the Corps of Professors of the Armed Forces of the Philippines currently serving as Military Assistant at the Office of the Undersecretary for Strategic Assessment and Planning, Department of National Defense. She is a doctoral candidate in Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware under the Fulbright Foreign Student Program. She was also a Southeast Asian Young Leader of the 2022 and 2023 Shangri-La Dialogue, and also a reviewer for the Asian Politics and Policy Journal. Her dissertation research focuses on the role of maritime strategic culture in shaping the security behavior of insular Southeast Asian states in contested maritime spaces. Her broader interests include international security, maritime strategy, and regional security dynamics in Southeast Asia.

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Currently serves as Committee Secretary of the House Committee on Local Government, supporting its legislative work on local governance and decentralization. For nearly 15 years, served with the Committee on Foreign Affairs, gaining extensive experience in foreign policy, international relations, and the legislative aspects of the country’s external affairs. Also served as Committee Secretary of the Special Committee on Strategic Intelligence and later the Special Committee on West Philippine Sea (WPS). While now focused on the Committee on Local Government, continues to share this experience by advising and supporting the team handling the Special Committee on WPS. After nearly two decades in legislative service, continues to value the opportunity to learn, serve, and work with colleagues toward meaningful public service.

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Mr. Le Harvey D. San Antonio is the OIC Committee Secretary of the Special Committee on the West Philippine Sea concurrent with his job as Supervising Legislative Committee Researcher in the Committee of National Defense and Security in the House of Representatives (HRep). He is in-charge of providing technical expertise in the deliberation of proposed legislative measures related to the West Philippine Sea and the National Defense and Security of the Philippines. He has a Master’s degree in National Security Administration.

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Mr. Caballero is Chief for Space International Cooperation at the Philippine Space Agency under the Office of the President. He leads the country’s international space diplomacy initiatives, advancing Philippine interests in multilateral and bilateral engagements. In this role, he represents the Philippines in global and regional bodies such as the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and also as a representative to the ASEAN Subcommittee on Earth, Ocean and Space Science under the ASEAN Economic Community Pillar. His professional background is anchored in international security and foreign policy. Prior to joining the space sector, he served in various roles as consultant for policy research, review and formulation and senior policy research officer at the Presidential Commission on Visiting Forces and previously held research and advisory roles at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He is an active member of the academic community, teaching at institutions including Ateneo de Manila University, Asian Institute of Management, University of Asia and the Pacific, Philippine Women’s University, De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, and the National Defense College of the Philippines. He has served as a visiting lecturer at Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu in Romania and is a contributor to the ASEAN Centre at MGIMO University in Russia. He holds an MA in Political Economy with Specialization in IR and Development from UA&P. His research interests cover EU and ASEAN regionalism, Asia–Europe relations, Eastern European and Russian politics, foreign policy, geopolitics, international security, and space diplomacy.

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Robert Frederick Hayden Jr., Ph.D., CWM is a distinguished higher education leader, internationalization strategist, and Certified World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) Mentor, recognized for his expertise in higher education leadership, institutional innovation, quality assurance, global rankings, strategic planning, and international collaboration. With an accomplished career spanning academic leadership, institutional management, policy development, and global engagement, he has consistently championed transformative initiatives that enhance institutional excellence and global competitiveness.
He currently serves as the Founding President of the World University Network for Innovation-Leaders (WUNI-L), a network under the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI), where he leads international initiatives that promote innovation, collaborative leadership, and knowledge exchange among higher education institutions worldwide.
Dr. Hayden is also the Executive Director and Dean of the School of Heritage Education at the Asian Institute of Maritime Studies (AIMS), where he provides strategic leadership in academic development, internationalization, institutional planning, quality assurance, global university rankings, and innovation. He has been instrumental in expanding international partnerships, strengthening institutional competitiveness, advancing evidence-based planning, and enhancing AIMS’ global visibility through initiatives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), innovation ecosystems, and international benchmarking.

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John Paul Zaldarriaga is a Filipino businessman and writer for The Manila Times, where he writes on geopolitics, foreign relations and governance

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John Raymond Jison currently studies populist politics, constitutional pluralism, and democratic resilience in Southeast Asia. He is an assistant professor of political science at UP Manila, previously heading the Division of Political Science at UP Los Baños and serving as a research fellow at the University of Oslo, Norway. He holds a master’s and a Hungarian diploma in comparative political science from Central European University, Hungary, and a BA (magna cum laude) in political science from UP Manila.

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