David Lozada
David Lozada is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute. A human rights advocate and an award-winning communications professional, his research examines the effectiveness of human rights mobilisations in the Philippines during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte (2016-2022). His work focuses on social movements against four key human rights issues of the Duterte regime – the ‘war on drugs’/ extra-judicial killings, press freedom, capital punishment, and lowering the minimum age for criminal responsibility.
Previously, David worked as a journalist and communications professional based in the Philippines. In 2016, he was an academic fellow for the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative of the US Department of State, attending classes at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In 2017, he was awarded an Australia Awards Scholarship by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He finished his Master of Development Studies degree at the University of Melbourne, first class honours and as part of the Dean’s Academic List, in 2018.