The medals and other distinctions worn on a military uniform are not ornaments. What they represent can take years to acquire, sometimes through sacrifice, fear, and experiences that can never be recovered. The Armed Forces of the Philippines is obligated to protect this medal and the credibility of the process behind its awarding.
This is why one photograph from the August 13, 2026, Commission on Appointments confirmation drew so much attention. The CA confirmed Gen. Antonio Nafarrete’s appointment as AFP chief of staff and the appointments or promotions of 37 other military officers, including Mikee Romero to brigadier general in the Philippine Air Force Reserve. A photograph from the event showed Nafarrete beside Romero, whose medals and other military distinctions later drew questions from retired and active military personnel.
The controversy initially centered on a ribbon critics identified as representing the Gold Cross Medal and on a Combat Commander or Kagitingan Badge. It later expanded to cover Romero’s entire collection of military distinctions.
Retired military officers have openly questioned some of those he wears. Romero has since denied the allegations, asserting even that he has no Gold Cross Medal. He also said he did not seek the recognitions he has received and that they were voluntarily awarded by the different service branches and commands based on merit, supported by General Orders and other military records.
If Romero’s claim is true, it does not settle the controversy. An institution that hands out its combat honors to someone who never asked for it is not exercising generosity. It is an institution with no standard left to protect.
There is nothing inherently irregular about a reservist receiving a military decoration. The question is not whether a reservist can earn a Gold Cross, but whether the same standards applied to regular soldiers were applied to Romero, and whether the AFP has the records to show it.
The AFP says the PAF Reserve Command is investigating the matter and reviewing the policies covering reservists’ awards and decorations. Explaining how Romero received his awards should not require a long policy review. Romero himself has said there are supporting documents. Those records should show who recommended the award, what was the basis for it, who approved it, and under what military status Romero was serving at the time, including what unit he was attached to. There should also be an award recommendation, personnel record, or after-action report on file.
The CA’s role complicates the AFP’s posture of caution. The Commission confirmed senior appointments in the same institution now facing questions about how it awards its highest combat honors — and did so publicly, days after the controversy had already surfaced. An accountability body that confirms without asking is not neutral.
The AFP should also weigh how this controversy looks to soldiers who earned their decorations through years of deployment and risk — and to the CA, whose confirmation authority exists precisely to catch this kind of failure before it reaches a photo op. Even the perception that rules bend for someone with political, business, or social influence damages confidence in the system, regardless of whether that perception holds up.
Reservists who serve properly should not have their credibility dragged into the controversy either. The clearest way to protect both groups is for the AFP to show that the same standards, and the same paper trail, apply to everyone.
Military decorations carry weight because the institution behind them is trusted to have checked the facts before approving them. The CA’s confirmation authority carries weight for the same reason. Once both assumptions are publicly questioned, the responsibility falls on both institutions to answer with records.
The investigation now underway should do more than determine whether future policy needs revision. It should explain how Romero got his Gold Cross in the first place, if such was the case. A broader review of the awards system may reasonably take time, but checking the file behind one medal should not.
