Former Deputy Speaker and sportsman Mikee Romero was among the 39 senior officers the Armed Forces of the Philippines whose promotions were officially confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on Monday, Oct. 1.
Romero, who completed three terms as 1Pacman representative in the Congress, was promoted to full colonel in the Philippine Air Force Reserve, a development which is likely to give the Association of Reservist and Reservist Administrators of the Philippines more power to pursue its missions in the countryside.
Romero chairs ARRAPI which is actively supporting AFP in its various projects – the latest was the Last Mile Medical Health Donation initiative in Tawi-Tawi.
Romero has been a driving force in strengthening the reservist corps as a strategic component of defense. With Romero’s help, ARRAPI now has more than 5,000 members all over the country – all ready to provide support for disaster response and humanitarian assistance.
But being a true sportsman, Romero intends to bring joy even to the most isolated communities in the country by donating sports equipment and launching several sports events soon.
“That will be part of my mission, sports can unite the nation because of the joy and thrill it can bring,” said Romero. “After civil-military operations, we can introduce sports and give disaster victims little enjoyment.”
One of Romero’s highlights as member of the Congress was being the primary proponent of the legislation that enabled Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee to obtain Filipino citizenship two years ago.
A world-ranked polo player, Romero also helped push the AFP Modernization Program and back key air mobility acquisitions, including the procurement of three C-130J aircraft.
