The situation, in brief
Retired military officers and former government officials pile on Rep. Mikee Romero, questioning how a reservist earned more decorations than a four-star general with 40 years of active service Retired military officers and former government officials are calling out billionaire port tycoon and…
Retired military officers and former government officials pile on Rep. Mikee Romero, questioning how a reservist earned more decorations than a four-star general with 40 years of active service
Retired military officers and former government officials are calling out billionaire port tycoon and former House Deputy Speaker Michael Odylon “Mikee” Romero after a viral photo showed him in his Philippine Air Force (PAF) Reserve brigadier general’s uniform, adorned with more medals, ribbons, and badges than Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Antonio Nafarrete.
The backlash follows the Commission on Appointments’ (CA) confirmation on August 13 of Romero’s ad interim appointment to Brigadier General in the Reserve Force, alongside 37 other senior military officers and flag officers, topped by Nafarrete’s confirmation to the AFP’s highest post.
Retired PAF Major General Romeo Poquiz was among the first to question the photo in a Facebook post on August 15.
“AFP, totoo ba ito? Isang reservist na politiko, Reserve Brigadier General Michael Odylon ‘Mikee’ Romero, mas marami pang awards, decorations, at badges kesa sa inyong AFP Chief,” Poquiz wrote.
“Meron pang combat award na Gold Cross. Talaga? Ano amoy ng pulbura? Ano itsura ng kalaban? Tinalo niya ang isang 4-star general AFP Chief of Staff na Army Ranger na babad sa mga bakbakan at mag 40 years na sa serbisyo. Airforce pa mandin,” Poquiz added.
Poquiz went further, questioning the legitimacy of the awards themselves and accusing the AFP of staying silent.
“Sino-sino ang nagbigay ng awards na mga iyan? Recto o Libertad? Peke yan o kung hindi man, dalawa singko ang award. Binaboy ang AFP Awards and Decorations system,” Poquiz said, before asking, “Dedma lang kayo? Bulag, Pipi, at Bingi lang uli?”
Retired Philippine Army (PA) Colonel Dencio Acop, a 1983 West Point graduate and Distinguished Conduct Star awardee for his role in defending the government during the 1989 coup attempt, echoed the criticism in his own Facebook post.
“How can a reserve (not full-time) officer earn more service medals than a regular soldier? There is honor attached to every award so every award bestowed on a soldier carries with it actions ‘above and beyond the call of duty,'” Acop wrote, adding that “the uniform, ranks, and decorations are sacred to soldiers who actually serve their country with honor and at the risk of their own lives.”
Acop did not hold back in his closing remarks, telling reservists in Romero’s position to “pick up a rifle, crawl through mud, and try getting shot at by real bullets from an enemy who hates you,” before adding, “Otherwise please get out of that undeserved uniform and have some shame.”
Acop also called on the military leadership to act, saying, “I’ll also advise the CSAFP to do something about the concern expressed here. Soldiers are NOT politicians. Real soldiers will one day fight real battles. Pretenders run and hide.”
Romero previously chaired the Board of Globalport 900, Inc. and served as CEO of Harbour Centre Port Terminal, and was the Philippines’ richest congressman for six consecutive years, declaring a net worth of ₱7.858 billion in his last publicly disclosed Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) in 2018.
The son of construction magnate Reghis Romero II, he was previously the majority shareholder of AirAsia Philippines through his family’s F&S Holdings, alongside owning the NorthPort Batang Pier basketball franchise in the PBA.
Retired Police Colonel Rodrigo Bonifacio went further than Poquiz and Acop in a Sunday, August 16 Facebook post titled “The Cost of Stolen Valor,” explicitly branding the controversy a case of institutionalized stolen valor through political patronage.
“This is a classic case of ‘Stolen Valor’ institutionalized through political patronage, and it demands immediate state intervention,” Bonifacio wrote, adding that “when the Gold Cross Medal, a decoration for gallantry in action, and the Combat Commander (Kagitingan) Badge are treated as fashion accessories or political props rather than honors earned through sacrifice, the entire foundation of the profession of arms begins to crumble.”
Bonifacio called for a “Strategic Purge” of the reserve and auxiliary rosters, proposing a mandatory records audit by the Department of National Defense, the recall of administrative or honorary promotions granted without proper military schooling, and criminal enforcement of Article 179 of the Revised Penal Code against illegal use of military insignia.
He closed his post with a direct challenge to the military establishment: “Valor is forged in fire, not bought with influence. For the honor of the Service and the Nation!”
Former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III added his voice on Monday, August 17, framing the issue as a matter of institutional integrity.
“Integrity is the hallmark of a professional soldier, Regular and Reserve. Stolen valor destroys it and disrespects the men and women who earned their medals and badges,” Alunan said.
According to a Manila Times column by retired Marine Major General Edgardo Arevalo, the controversy also drew reaction from retired Philippine Marine Corps Major Alex Anicete, who questioned in a lengthy vernacular post why Romero appeared to have more medals than the AFP chief, including a Gold Cross and multiple Military Merit Medals with spearhead devices typically reserved for actual combat.
Arevalo’s column also cited retired Marine Major General Alexander Balutan, a Distinguished Conduct Star awardee himself, who claimed a regular soldier who allegedly lost an eye in combat was never given an award, drawing an implicit contrast with Romero’s decorations.
Arevalo, who was considered as the AFP’s longest-serving spokesperson until his 2021 retirement, offered a more measured take in his column, explaining that every military medal and badge goes through a formal process involving a “description of deeds” certified by a commanding officer and deliberated by an Awards and Decorations Board before approval.
He noted that combat-related honors like the Medal for Valor, Distinguished Conduct Star, or Gold Cross require an even more stringent process, including witness affidavits and sketches of the armed encounter site, while badges like Navy SEAL or Scout Ranger insignia can be awarded at a commander’s discretion for supporting a unit’s mission, even without completing that unit’s training.
Arevalo suggested Romero’s decorations may stem from his role in securing funding for the Philippine Air Force’s C-130J aircraft acquisition and his leadership of the Association of Reservists and Reservist Administrators of the Philippines, while still calling for a review of AFP Regulations G-131-054, the Awards and Decorations Manual, last updated in 2014.
Romero currently serves as OIC Wing Commander of the 2nd Air Force Wing Reserve Command based in Clark Airbase, overseeing reserve forces across the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon regions, and chairs the Association of Reservists and Reservist Administrators of the Philippines.
Romero has not issued a public statement addressing the criticism as of this writing.
