Torre scores ‘win by default’; Baste Duterte a no-show at his own challenge
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III secures a default win after Davao City acting Mayor Baste Duterte failed to show up for their scheduled charity boxing match on July 27, 2025 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The STAR / Ryan Baldemor
MANILA, Philippines — Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte did not show up to the boxing match he had challenged against Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicholas Torre III.
The match pushed through on Sunday, July 27, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila, with Torre showing up and stepping into the ring alone.
It was Torre who proposed turning the fistfight into a charity event following Duterte’s public challenge, which the PNP chief accepted. The event also featured five undercard bouts between different pairs of boxers.
Speaking at the venue, Torre announced that the event raised over P300,000 from ticket sales and an additional P16 million in donations.
According to the event poster shared by the PNP on Saturday, July 26, all proceeds from ticket sales would be donated to “charitable causes,” specifically to support those affected by recent flooding due to inclement weather.
The boxing match was initiated by Duterte during a podcast on July 20, which Torre accepted.
Duterte later set conditions before agreeing to the bout he himself proposed, saying Torre must convince President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to mandate hair follicle drug testing for all elected officials.
However, Duterte was spotted leaving for Singapore with his family on Friday morning, despite preparations being made for the match.
He later claimed that Torre failed to coordinate with him on the fight schedule and that he would be available on other dates instead.
Duterte also accused the PNP chief of using the match to divert attention from “real issues.”
“Gusto mo, puntahan kita. Walang camera, suntukan tayo, walang gloves,” Duterte said in a podcast on July 26.
It can be recalled that during his tenure as chief of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Torre oversaw the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, the father of Sebastian Duterte.
He also led the arrest of Apollo Quiboloy, a known ally of the Dutertes, in September 2023.
