President Rodrigo Duterte is taking full responsibility over the misencounter between the police and the military in Samar to "end the blame game," his spokesman said on Sunday.

"It's to end the blame game. Spoken like a true leader, the buck stops with him," Roque said in a text message to reporters.

He said the misencounter between the soldiers and policemen in Sta. Rita was an unfortunate incident which should not happen again.

"Closer coordination can be expected between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police in future ground combat operations," Roque added.

Last Friday, during his speech in Tacloban City, Duterte said the "ultimate blame" was on him.

"I’d like to tell you that the ultimate blame or fault, is on me, being the Commander-in-Chief. I do not want to use the word. But I'm their head and so there was a lot of tragic stories weaved around the incident," Duterte said.

He also told the government troops to forget about the incident, citing the principle of Murphy's law.

"And so I said: policemen, I'm your commander, also the soldier, it's me. And so you --- 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 said.

Six policemen were killed while nine others were wounded in a misencounter with soldiers in Sitio Lonoy, Barangay San Roque, Sta Rita, Samar last June 25.

The Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of National Defense are now conducting a joint inquiry regarding the incident. Ella Dionisio/DMS