Brawner is new commander of 103rd Brigade in Marawi

Col. Romeo Brawner Jr.

MARAWI CITY – Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. took over as new commander of the 103rd Infantry “Haribon” Brigade here on Tuesday as Brig. Gen. Generoso Ponio ended his tour of duty.

Brawner, earlier designated as the Regiment Commander of the Civil Military Operations Regiment, accepted the new change of command in a turnover ceremony at Camp Ranao.

Maj. Gen. Roseller G. Murillo, Joint Task Force Zampelan and First Infantry Tabak Division Commander, who led the turnover, also announced Ponio would assume as Joint Task Force Ranao Commander after Brig. Gen. Manuel Ramiro Rey was promoted as Commander of Special Operation Command based in Camp Aguinaldo.

Brawner said he would work to achieve three objectives: run after the remnants of Islamic State-inspired Maute terror group; ensure a clean, honest, and orderly elections and plebiscite in 2019 for the ratification of Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL); and successful rehabilitation of Marawi City.

Brawner lauded the relentless efforts of Ponio and other battalion commanders in going after the Maute group.

Brawner, a member of the 1989 Makatao Class of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), was first assigned as platoon leader of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army. He became the deputy commander of the Joint Task Force Ranao during the Marawi siege and lately designated as regiment Commander of the Civil Military Operations Group, an information arm of JTFM.

Brawner said he first set foot in Kampo Ranao here 32 years ago as a first year student when his uncle, former Gen. Felix Brawner Jr., took over as commander of the 3rd Brigade and invited his immediate family to witness the donning of a star as General.

“It was here in the same ground of Kampo Ranao where at that time the Lanao del Sur Provincial Governor Mohammad Ali Dimaporo pinned the star on his shoulder during the donning ceremony.”  /kga