If there is one excellent choice that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ever made so far, it was of appointing Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. as chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
No, I don’t know Gen. Brawner that well; our interactions were few and far between, although warm and sincere. But as eminent writer Frank Herbert once said: “What is the son, but an extension of the father?” And I knew the father well.
He was none other than Romeo A. Brawner Sr., former trial judge, Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals, and Commissioner of the Commission on Elections. He was also ninong to me and to my wife Judge Dinnah (with whom I celebrated 26 years of wedded bliss last 21 July).
Justice Brawner was my wife’s boss for many years when he was still an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals or CA. A most humble man, he was still driving his old, beat-up Volkswagen Beetle even when he was already with the appellate court. Once, on his way back to Manila from Baguio City (where he lived), he was pulled over by members of the highway patrol, who thought it strange that the protocol plate number “10” would be displayed on a car so decrepit. Asked to explain, he told them that he was a member of the CA, and showed them his credentials. He then jocularly quipped to the apologetic, head-scratching policemen, “You shouldn’t delay me the next time, because Justice delayed is justice denied.”
That witticism was characteristic of the man, who is joviality personified. I remembered when, as Presiding Justice, we were invited to a reception for a visiting foreign magistrate whose last name was Brown. When the guest introduced himself on stage as “Justice Brown”, Ninong Romy retorted, “Well, you may be Brown, but I’m Brawner.” And who could forget his toast to us newlyweds when he raised a glass to me and said, “Congratulations to my hijado, Atty. Ferdie Topacio. They say a man is not complete until he is married. Then he’s finished,” to everyone’s laughter.
Justice Brawner was a wonderful mentor to my wife, who was one of his court attorneys, tasked with doing research for pending cases and drafting judgments. He taught her so many things about writing decisions that served her in good stead when she finally became a judge herself. And he mediated between Dinnah and I during the adjustment period of our marriage, always giving us the benefit of his sage advice as a man whose marriage has endured and produced children who excelled in their own fields.
But perhaps one thing that has impressed me most about Justice Brawner is how unshakably incorruptible he is as a jurist. I recall as if it were only yesterday, how he called my wife to tell her to rush an important decision finding in favor of the government by saving it billions of pesos because the counsel for the other party (a big corporation) was offering him a princely sum of money if Brawner would decide in favor his client. My wife, apologizing to me for not sleeping beside me that night since she had to pull an all-nighter, said that Ninong wanted the matter over and done with because the lawyer wouldn’t stop pestering him.
If Gen. Brawner is anything like his father — strong, disciplined, noble and modest — then I have no doubts that he would serve our country well. And I have no doubts that Gen. Brawner is his father’s son. The fact that he graduated at the top of his class, has three master’s degrees, and has no problem doing combat duty with aplomb, is abundant evidence thereof.
Gen. Brawner is, truly like his father, a man of brains and brawn. He is the son every father would be proud to have. I am sure that Ninong is looking down on him, hugely proud.