Torre wins by default in charity boxing match; raises P20-M donations

By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan, Philippine News Agency

“You’re winner, General Nicolas Torre III!,” the ring announcer declared after the countdown ended. (Photo: Philippine National Police/Facebook)

MANILA – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III on Sunday won by default in a charity boxing match against acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, who did not show up.

The match has raised more than PHP20 million in cash donations and ticket sales.

The crowd later joined the ring announcer in the countdown for Baste to show up.

“You’re winner, General Nicolas Torre III!,” the ring announcer declared after the countdown ended.

With the song “Eye of the Tiger” as background, Torre jogged towards the boxing ring set up inside the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila after four undercard fights featuring boxers from the PNP Boxing Team.

Torre said the PNP has already received around PHP16.3 million in cash donations from various sponsors.

He said two tons of relief goods were also donated to the PNP in support of the charity boxing match, which he said is all worth around PHP4.2 million. As to the ticket sales, it generated around PHP350,000.

“We will be donating all the proceeds to all our kababayan(s) affected by the typhoon. In fact, we will be going to Baseco (Manila) later to deliver assistance,” Torre said, adding the donations will be coursed through some agencies and organizations like the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Philippine Red Cross.

The camp of Torre has started preparing for the bout after Baste Duterte issued a statement demanding that he would fight if President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and all the elected officials would undergo a drug test.

“Unang una, kaming dalawa lang naman ang involve dito. Kung hair follicle test sa aming dalawa at anytime, anywhere ay pwedeng pwede na mag hair follicle test kami. Nakita niyo naman napakalaki ng ating effort at pagod na inilagay dito at I don’t think he is worth responding to at this point in time. Parang hayaan na muna natin siya sa kanyang mundo (First of all, it’s just the two of us involved here. For hair follicle tests for both of us, it can be anytime, anywhere. You can see how much effort and fatigue we put into this and I don’t think he is worth responding to at this point in time. It seems like we should just let him be in his own world for now),” Torre told reporters.

It was Duterte who mentioned about a fistfight with Torre in one of his podcasts — a statement which was accepted by the PNP chief but said it should be turned into a charity boxing match for the benefit of the calamity victims.

When Baste started making what other people described as “impossible demands”, Torre appeared to have already sensed that the former was not interested in fighting.

Baste issued another statement that he would fight Torre between Tuesday to Friday this week.

But Torre was no longer interested.

“Nasabi na natin ang lahat so this is the only one and only chance na palagay ko ay papansinin pa natin siya. After that, wala na siya. Napakarami naman kundisyon. Hindi ganun kapag ikaw ang nag-challenge kahit na ano pa man, kahit bata nga alam yan. Kapag nag-challenge ka, dapat panindigan mo na ang challenge mo. Kapag hindi mo kayang panindigan, tigil na lang (We have said everything so this is the only one and only chance that I think we will pay attention to him. There are so many conditions. When you are the one who challenges, no matter what, even a child knows that. When you challenge, you must stand by your challenge. If you can’t stand by it, just stop),” he said.

Torre said the event must push through since a number of sponsors already committed cash and goods donations.

And when Baste started talking again about the rescheduling of the fight, Torre was already cold to the proposal.

“I don’t think there is still logic in anything he would say anymore. Ang credibility kase parang maloko mo ako one time, shame on you, maloko mo ako dalawang beses, shame on me (The credibility is like to fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. I am not like his supporters whom he could fool all the time),” he said.

Among the attendees were Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, National Police Commission Vice Chairman Raphael Calinisan, and senior PNP officials.