Stop 'blame game' on Samar misencounter – President
President Duterte has sought to put an end to the “blame game” surrounding the recent deadly misencounter between policemen and soldiers in Samar province by taking full responsibility for the incident, Malacañang said yesterday.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the President also expects the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to coordinate their combat operations to prevent a repeat of the unfortunate incident.
“It’s to end the blame game. Spoken like a true leader, the buck stops with him,” Roque said in a statement.
“It’s an unfortunate incident which should not hap
pen again. Closer coordination can be expected between the AFP and the PNP in future ground combat operations,” he added.
The President earlier declared he was taking the “ultimate blame” for the misencounter in Samar that left six policemen dead and several others injured last week.
Duterte acknowledged that the tragic clash between the cops and soldiers was not intentional, citing Murphy’s law that when things could go wrong, it would go wrong.
“Both the Filipino soldiers and Filipino policemen, I’d like to tell you that the ultimate blame is on me being the commander-in-chief,” the President said during his visit to festival of lights in Tacloban City last Friday.
“Let’s just to 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,” he added.
Probe continues The Joint Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police (AFP-PNP) Board of Inquiry (BOI) inspected the site of the misencounter in Sitio Lunoy, Barangay San Roque, Sta. Rita town, Samar on Saturday.
Lt. Gen. Rafael Valencia, AFP Inspector General and part of the Joint AFP-PNP BOI, said that based on their initial findings, they ruled out the possibility of ambush as what is circulating in the public for the elements of it were not present.
However, considering the investigation is still in progress, they are still in the process of thorough evaluation of all the data they gathered from the incident between the members of the Army’s 87th Infantry Battalion and the PNP’s 8th Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) transpired.
Valencia also said the Joint BOI is also focusing its inquiry on the possible lapses on the aspect of observing proper protocol and coordination. In the process, it can serve as a basis to improve or establish a better mechanism on joint operations for both forces in order to avoid similar occurrence in the future.
The AFP and the PNP maintained a very harmonious relationship for the longest time. They formed a formidable team as dependable pillars of the government in the security sector that addresses security concerns and interest of the country.
Full cooperation Maj. Gen. Raul Farnacio, 8th ID chief, said his command will cooperate fully with the BOI.
“We will be objective and transparent to shed light on the incident and will make appropriate actions thereafter to those who will be proven to have committed any lapses or violated established rules and regulations,” Farnacio said in a statement.
At the same time, he again conveyed their sincerest apology to the families, relatives, and friends of the six fallen members of the 1st Platoon, 805th Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8 of the Philippine National Police who died in the incident.
6 cops honored
Meanwhile, the President has posthumously conferred the Order of Lapu-Lapu on the six policemen who were killed in the misencounter with Army troops.
According to Malacañang, Duterte awarded the Kalasag Medal to PO1 Julie Escalo, PO1 Phil J Rey Mendigo, PO1 Rowel Reyes, PO1 Julius Suarez, PO1 Wyndell Noromor, and PO1 Edwin Ebrado.
The Kalasag Medal is awarded to officials and personnel of the government and private individuals, who lost their lives as a direct result of their participation in an activity pursuant to a campaign or advocacy of the President. (With a report from Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)