Cordilleran Brawner is Phl Armed Forces chief

Malacañang, through the Presidential Communications Office, announced on Wednesday that Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner, a Cordilleran who traces his roots from the province of Ifugao is next Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and will take the place of General Andres Centino who was re-appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the said post earlier this year.
    Centino will be appointed as Presidential Adviser on the West Philippine Sea.
Brawner is currently serving as Commanding General of the Philippine Army, which he assumed on Dec. 10, 2021. 
    He graduated number two (2) in the Philippine Military Academy “Makatao” Class of 1989 and has since served the military in various capacities for 34 years now.
    Among his previous designations in the military were: Company Commander of the 6th Special Forces Company; Battalion Commander of the 2nd Special Forces Battalion; Operations Officer of the Special Forces Regiment (Airborne); Chief of Staff of the 6th Infantry “Kampilan” Division; Chief, Public Affairs of the Philippine Army; Spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; Commander of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment; and, Brigade Commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade during the aftermath of the Marawi Siege in 2017.
     Brawner also previously served as Commandant of the Cadets in the Philippine Military Academy, where he played an important role in the total eradication of hazing and maltreatment in the Cadet Corps. Later on, he served as the first Deputy Chief of Staff for Financial Management, J10, Armed Forces of the Philippines.
     He also served as the Commander of the 4th Infantry “Diamond” Division, where he supervised the unit’s combat operations that resulted to the decisive neutralization of Jorge Madlos or “Ka Oris,” the Commander of the National Operations Command of the New People’s Army.

He exemplified the highest levels of excellence in his military schoolings, topping his classes in the Special Forces Operations Course, Intelligence Officer Course, and the AFP Comptrollership Course.

Brawner has acquired three Master’s Degrees:  Master’s in Information Management from the Ateneo de Manila University; Master’s in Business Administration from the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand and from the European School of Management, Oxford, United Kingdom and Master’s in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College (USAWC).

Among numerous awards and recognitions he received were:  The Outstanding Philippine Soldiers (TOPS) in 2013 by the Metrobank Foundation and Rotary Club of Makati, and the Lapu-Lapu Award by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for his valuable contributions in the neutralization of Abu Dar, the last of the original leaders of the Maute-ISIS faction.

In March this year, Brawner was inducted into the US Army War College (UASWC) International Fellows Hall of Fame in recognition of his service at the highest command position in the Philippine Army.

In that same visit, he was conferred the Legion of Merit – Degree of Commander in recognition of his exceptionally meritorious service as the Commanding General, Philippine Army, particularly in ensuring that the Philippine Army remains trained, ready, and postured for all missions.