Rommel Banlaoi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
April 27, 1970
Rommel Banlaoi | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rommel C. Banlaoi April 27, 1970 |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of the Philippines Diliman (BA, MA) Jinan University (PhD) |
Rommel C. Banlaoi (27 April 1970) is a Filipino political scientist, security analyst, an international studies expert, counterterrorism scholar, and a sinologist. He was nominated and designated as a Deputy National Security Adviser with the rank of Undersecretary in July 2022 to lead in the transition process at the National Security Council Secretariat. But he has returned to his work as an independent scholar and a non-government subject matter expert on geopolitics, peace and security studies; counterterrorism research; and, China studies.[1] He is a celebrity professor and policy influencer known for his scholarly works on international terrorism (specifically on the Abu Sayyaf Group), South China disputes, foreign affairs and geopolitical issues. He is the Chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR)[2] and President of the Philippine Society for International Security Studies (PSISS),[3] both academic and non-governmental organizations.
Banlaoi finished his BA and MA in Political Science at the University of the Philippines in Diliman where he also worked on his PhD in Political Science (ABD Status). He earned his PhD in International Relations at Jinan University in Guangzhou, China.[4]
Career
Banlaoi began his career as an Instructor in Political Science at the University of the Philippines Los Baños from 1992 to 1995.[5] He then served as a University Research Associate at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1996.[6] Subsequently, he became an Assistant Professor of International Studies at De La Salle University from 1997 to 1998.[7] He was later appointed as a Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the National Defense College of the Philippines from 1998 to 2008, where he also served as Vice President from 1998 to 2001.[8]
Prior to his academic career at NDCP, he worked at the Office of the Secretary of National Defense (OSND) during the administration of President Joseph Estrada. While at NDCP, he was detailed to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Plans and Programs (OASPP) during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. During Arroyo's term, Banlaoi served as a senior adviser at the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), founded the Mayor's Development Center (MDC),[9] and worked as a consultant at the National Counter-Terrorism Action Group (NACTAG), the precursor to the Philippine Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) established by the Human Security Act of 2007, which has since been replaced by the Philippine Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020.
He was appointed as a member of the Advisory Council of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) during President Benigno Simeon Aquino III's administration and later as a member of the Advisory Council of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) under President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. In 2021, he was reappointed as a member of the National Advisory Group of the CIDG and eventually elected as its Vice Chairman for External Affairs. Additionally, Banlaoi served as Professor and Director for Research and Publication at World City College (WCC) from 2004 to 2005 and as a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Eastern Pangasinan (UEP) in 2006. Since 2011, he has been teaching at the Department of International Studies at Miriam College in the Philippines.
Awards
Banlaoi received in June 2021 the Award for Outstanding Contribution in the Promotion of Philippines-China Understanding offered by the Association of Philippines-China Understanding (APCU) and the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines.[10] Because of his involvement in peace education, terrorism research and non-violence studies, he received the Albani Peace Prize Award for Peace Education.[11] On the occasion of the 2016 World CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Congress Day in Mumbai, India, Banlaoi received the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Humanitarian and Social Cause.[12] Banlaoi has been described by Borer, Everton and Nayve the "leading Philippine scholar studying radical Islam".[13]