Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the finger-pointing regarding the Samar misencounter will end after President Rodrigo Duterte took full responsibility for the incident.
鈥淚t鈥檚 to end the blame game,鈥� Roque said in a text message to reporters on Sunday, after being sought for comments on the president鈥檚 previous statement.
According to Roque, relatives of the dead policemen are looking for somebody to be held accountable; hence, the president鈥檚 remarks.
鈥淜asi ilan sa mga kaanak ng mga nasawi are still asking for justice. Sabi nila dapat merong managot (The victims鈥� relatives are asking for justice. They want someone to be held accountable for the incident),鈥� he added.
A total of six police officers died in the incident while nine more were wounded, after a 20-minute firefight between the members of the 805th Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion of the Philippine National Police and 鈥榓rmed men鈥� of the 87th Infantry Battalion of Philippine Army.
On Friday, President Duterte said he is accountable for the incident.聽 鈥淚 would like to tell you that the ultimate blame, fault is on me,鈥� he said in a speech in Leyte last Friday.
READ: 6 policemen killed, 9 more hurt in Samar misencounter
President Duterte had previously lamented the situation, saying that nobody wanted it to happen.
READ: Duterte on Samar misencounter: 鈥楴obody wants it鈥�
鈥淪poken like a true leader, the buck stops with him,鈥� Roque said, before giving an assurance that the police and the army would work together in the future to avoid such untoward events.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an unfortunate incident which should not happen again. Closer coordination can be expected between the AFP and the PNP in future ground combat operations,鈥� he added. /ee