MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III has accepted Sebastian “Baste” Duterte’s challenge to a fistfight, suggesting that the match be held as a charity boxing event at the Araneta Coliseum this Sunday.
“It’s okay with me if he really is serious,” Torre told reporters. “This could be a good time for a charity boxing match. Many Filipinos are in need of help due to storms and floods.”
Torre, who assumed leadership of the PNP amid various challenges, added that the bout could raise funds for communities recently devastated by weather disturbances and flooding across Luzon.
He also floated the idea of inviting boxing legend Manny Pacquiao to serve as the referee.
The challenge originated from a recent episode of Baste Duterte’s podcast “Basta Dabawenyo,” where the Davao City acting mayor taunted Torre:
“You’re only brave because you are in power. If we have a fistfight, I can take you on, if that’s all there is to it,” Duterte said.
The exchange is the latest development in a brewing rift between Torre and the Duterte family, rooted in the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte earlier this year. Torre, then head of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, enforced the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant upon Duterte’s return from Hong Kong in March.
Rodrigo Duterte is currently facing charges before the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity committed during his administration’s war on drugs.
There has been no official response yet from Baste Duterte regarding Torre’s counter-proposal of a charity boxing match.
