Duterte claims responsibility for Samar ‘misencounter’

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday took full responsibility for the "misencounter" between members of the military and the police in Sta. Rita, Samar early this week that led to the death of six police officers.

Addressing soldiers and policemen at a festival in Tacloban City, Duterte said the "ultimate blame" was on him being the commander-in-chief of all armed forces.

"I'd like to tell you that the ultimate blame, fault is on me being the commander-in-chief. I do not want to use the word but ako po 'yung pinaka [lider] nila," Duterte said in his speech.

The President maintained that the fatal misencounter on Monday was unintentional even as he advised everyone to wait for the result of the joint investigation by the Departments of National Defense, and the Interior and Local  Government.

"And so there's a lot of tragic stories weaved around the incident. Sabi ko sa kanila kalimutan na lang ninyo total hindi naman sinasadya and you know the Murphy's Law operates the way it is. If things can go wrong, it will go wrong," he said.

Army troopers allegedly fired upon the police operatives first after they were mistaken for communist insurgents. 

"And so I said kayong mga pulis ako 'yung pinaka commander ninyo pati kayong mga Army ako rin. And so you just say that it's all my fault. But since you are all my soldiers, let us forget the hurts, allow the investigation to go on, and let us see what develops in the future," Duterte said.

Order of Lapu-Lapu

Before he attended the Sangyaw Festival of Lights, Duterte went to the police regional headquarters at Camp Ruperto Kangleon in Palo, Leyte where he viewed the remains of the slain cops and condoled with their grieving families.

The President also posthumously conferred the Order of Lapu-Lapu Rank of Kalasag on police officers Wyndell Noromor, Edwin Ebrado, Phil Rey Mendigo, Julius Suarez, Rowell Reyes, and Julie Escalo.

The Rank of Kalasag is awarded to individuals who lost their lives as a direct result of their participation in an activity pursuant to a campaign or advocacy of the President.

Duterte also visited the nine wounded policemen at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban. — MDM, GMA News