Heeding the call of the government to serve in the remotest places in the Philippines in the early part of the 20th century, his family moved from Sorsogon to Tawi-Tawi where his parents were pioneer educators.

On March 23, 1946, as he and his classmates were about to board a Douglas C-47 plane to return to Mindanao after graduation, he received orders that he would be retained as instructor at the school for having topped his class; hence, he remained at Camp Olivas.

[11] In 1947, Espaldon was one of fifty Filipino scholars selected by nationwide competitive examinations for midshipman training at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point, New York pursuant to the Philippine Rehabilitation Act of 1946.

Espaldon's military career began at the age of 16 when he volunteered in the USAFFE as a member of the Bolo Battalion Unit in 1941 to fight the invading Japanese forces.

[17] In 1972, he would become Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), only to be deprived of the top post because the Marcos administration reportedly preferred a super-loyalist like General Fabian Ver.

Veteran Associated Press correspondent Gil Santos noted that Espaldon was one of the few "good guys" who wanted to restore professionalism in the military and got sidelined by Marcos and Ver.

[20][21] He would later be conferred the Outstanding Achievement Medal for his wide-ranging reforms which led to a 24% increase in revenue collection from the previous year, reduction in processing time from the usual ten (10) days to seventy-two (72) hours through the implementation of a computer-based Entry Control System, the elimination of the "cabo" system at the North Harbor, and the investigation and prosecution of thirty-seven cases involving customs irregularities.

[7] With the assumption of Espaldon, his predecessor's Vietnam-style tactics of Body count and Search and destroy were abandoned in favor of his policy of attraction and peaceful reconciliation.

In addition to his military duties, he was appointed as the first governor of Tawi-Tawi[25] when it became a province on September 11, 1973, and served until the first provincial elections were held pursuant to Presidential Decree No.

[2] The doubling of Espaldon's authority reportedly resulted from the fact that his tactics had reduced the war in the SOWESCOM area, while the achievements of the AFP Central Mindanao Command (CEMCOM) under Gen. Fortunato Abat had been less notable.

[37] By late 1978, Espaldon announced the collapse of the Northern Mindanao Revolutionary Command led by Abul Khayr Alonto and the surrender of 1,215 rebels, bringing the total to 35,411.

[4] Throughout his stint as overall military commander in Mindanao, Espaldon's "Policy of Attraction" saw over 40,000[5] rebels lay down their arms, although some non-government and non-MNLF skeptics feel that these figures may have been overstated.

[38] Respected for both his competence and fairness, Espaldon had succeeded in persuading many MNLF personnel to accept amnesty and had reduced the level of fighting in the three Zamboanga provinces and in the Sulu archipelago.

[40] Amilpasa "Caloy" Bandaying, who once belonged to the elite Top 90 of the MNLF before his surrender, was designated by Espaldon as his aide-de-camp despite being cautioned by his officers at SOUTHCOM.

[41] Bandaying, in his article "The Bangsamoro Story (The Real Story Behind The Struggle),"[42] would later write:Through a series of negotiation and dialogues, a number of MNLF armed combatants returned to the fold of the government and embraced the offer of peace and reconciliation as well as the promise of rehabilitation and resettlement – in line with the main promise of ending decades long of oppression and discrimination against Muslims and Lumads in Mindanao.

Central to this campaign of reconciliation was Rear Admiral Romulo M. Espaldon, a native of Tawi-Tawi, tasked to dialogue with the MNLF in the thrust for finding a lasting peace in Mindanao.

The Citation reads:Before you assumed the reins of the Southern Command, the Muslims of Region IX were in the throes of constant fear, distrust and suspicion of the military and their Christian brothers.

Now therefore we, representing the Muslim communities of Autonomous Region IX, confer upon you Rear Admiral Romulo M. Espaldon, the Honorary Title of SULTAN MAKASANYANG.

[52] In 2003, he was advisor of a government panel that met with Prof. Shariff Julabbi, founder of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front splinter group Bangsamoro Mujahideen Alliance.

In October 1973, then Commodore Espaldon received information that the so-called Magic Eight rebel commanders of the MNLF, composed of Abbas "Maas Bawang" Estino, Gerry Matba, Bagis Hassan, Ahmad Omar, Jairulla Abdurajak, Alih Abubakar and Tupay Loong, wanted to surrender to him, along with their 2,000 fighters.

[56] On September 26, 1975, Japanese freighter Suehiro Maru was hijacked in Zamboanga and its 29 crew members held hostage by some 40 terrorists who demanded $133,000 (nearly $700,000 in 2020) for their release.

[61] Huguet was taking photos of houses on stilts in Zamboanga Bay when he was pushed into the water by three rebels, pulled into a boat, and was held captive for $132,000 in ransom (over $500,000 in 2020) on Basilan island.

Espaldon coordinated with French Ambassador Raphaël-Léonard Touze regarding courses of action and eventually secured the peaceful release of Huguet without paying ransom, pursuant to government policy.

Considering Espaldon's preferred "Policy of Attraction" which saw a period of rebel returnees reintegrating into the mainstream, he reportedly opposed military operation in Jolo but was apparently overruled by the central government.

One man, one leader, led a government task force in lifting up the unfortunate people out of the ruins of the rebel attack on February 7, 1972 (sic) into a new social and economic rebirth.

Because of the unstinted efforts of this great leader, the people of Jolo are experiencing a new resurgence and vitality, a new direction and drive towards an economic and social prosperity never before felt in our history.

A network of streamlined roads have been plotted; neat rows of houses have risen from the ashes; a new and imposing mosque stands in place of the one that was destroyed.

To express these thanks, gratitude and wishes of the people of Jolo, we hereby present this CITATION to our esteemed and dearest leader and exemplar of public of official, REAR ADMIRAL ROMULO M. ESPALDON.

In January 1984, he was featured on the cover of Mr. & Ms., a weekly opposition tabloid magazine created in response to the Assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr., and named as one of the 50 Most Capable To Lead.

Espaldon died due to colon cancer in 2005 at the age of 79 and was given full military honors during his interment at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.