Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte. Courtesy of Davao City Government, file

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte said on Saturday that he wanted a new schedule for a proposed boxing match with Police Gen. Nicolas Torre III, saying he had &quot;other things to do.&quot;</p><p>Saying he was not available, Duterte suggested alternative dates and set a condition for the match to happen.</p><p>“I cannot be there sa Sunday. I have other things to do. Pero Tuesday, available na ako… Tuesday, Wednesday, but not Sunday,” Duterte said, adding Torre had set the bout without asking him first.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>HOW IT STARTED</strong></div><p>The challenge arose from public speculation that Duterte had initially called out Torre for a fistfight.</p><p>The PNP chief interpreted this as a chance to set up a charity boxing match on Sunday, July 27.</p><p>The bout scheduled at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum was a no contest after Duterte failed to show up.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/27/no-torre-duterte-match-but-charity-boxing-card-raises-more-than-p16m-for-disaster-aid-1120"><strong>No Torre-Duterte match, but charity boxing card raises more than P16M for disaster aid</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>DUTERTE&#x27;S &#x27;CONDITION&#x27;</strong></div><p>Former President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s son said he was setting a condition for the match to happen: For President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare that all elected officials will take a hair follicle test for drug use.</p><p>“Papalagan ko ‘yang charity charity mo na ‘yan,” he said.</p><p>(Then I will meet you for your supposed charity match)</p><p>The Dutertes and their allies have been pushing for the 67-year-old Marcos Jr. to take a <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/8/17/duterte-bill-makes-hair-follicle-tests-the-standard-for-screening-1409">hair follicle test</a> to supposedly disprove rumored drug use.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>DUTERTE: WHY &#x27;USE&#x27; CHARITY AS AN EXCUSE?</strong></div><p>Duterte dismissed the notion of holding a match to raise funds for disaster victims, saying he and Torre could easily fight without &quot;using&quot; flooding as an excuse.</p><p>“Kung gusto mo lang talaga ng suntukan, bakit kailangan mo pang charity charity… [Kung] gusto mo, puntahan kita, walang camera, suntukan tayo walang gloves,” he said.</p><p>(If you really want to fight, why use charity as an excuse? If you want, I can go to you and we can have a fistfight with no cameras around and no gloves)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;I DID NOT CHALLENGE YOU&#x27;</strong></div><p>Duterte also said that he never challenged Torre and blamed media for public attention to his comments on Torre, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group when former President Duterte was arrested last March.</p><p>“Hindi naman kita hinamon. Sinabi ko talaga, ‘pag nagsuntukan tayo, mabubugbog kita. Hindi kita hinamon, tanga,” he said.</p><p>(I did not challenge you. What I really said was that if we were in a fight, I would beat you up. I didn&#x27;t challenge you, you idiot) </p><div><strong>— Mon Rodelas, ABS-CBN News</strong></div>

<p>The bout scheduled at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum was a no contest after Duterte failed to show up.</p>

The bout scheduled at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum was a no contest after Duterte failed to show up.

Why the bout with Torre didn’t happen, according to Baste Duterte

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Why the bout with Torre didn’t happen, according to Baste Duterte

ABS-CBN News

Published July 27, 2025 01:01 PM PHT

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Updated July 28, 2025 05:46 PM PHT

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Sebastian Duterte

Nicolas Torre III

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