Richard Heydarian
Richard Javad Foronda Heydarian is a Filipino political scientist, public thinker, and media personality. As an academic and global columnist, he has penned numerous articles for global media outlets, including The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and The Guardian, as well as authored or co-authored more than a dozen academic books. He has been described as "a leading voice on Philippine politics, ASEAN, Asian geopolitics, and populism." He has also been regularly interviewed by ABC Australia, Al Jazeera, BBC, Bloomberg, CNN International, CNBC, and DW. As a global affairs specialist, he has been interviewed by journalists such as Christiane Amanpour, Fareed Zakaria, and Maria Ressa. An advocate for human rights and a prominent critic of authoritarian leaders, most notably President Rodrigo Duterte, he has repeatedly faced online attacks and legal harassment throughout the years. Heydarian, along with two other respondents, won a landmark Supreme Court case in mid-2026 affirming his freedom of speech in light of his public criticism of the high court's ruling regarding Vice-President Sara Duterte's impeachment.