Torre gets the better of another Duterte
It was certainly not a “Thrilla in Manila”—the famed 1975 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier—yet thousands of people flocked to the Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Sunday to watch what was billed as a charity bout between Philippine National Police chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III, 55, and acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, 37.
Despite the absence of Duterte, who flew to Singapore a few days earlier, the event raised over P20 million in cash and kind while political points were evidently gained and lost between the two “pugilists”—the no-show and the declared winner by default.
The match had been brewing since May, with Duterte throwing the first punch, albeit verbal, when he criticized the promotion to PNP chief of Torre, the man who led the March 11 arrest of his father based on the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
Torre’s training
On July 20, Duterte dared Torre to a “suntukan” (fistfight), which the police chief accepted three days later, but suggested that it be turned into a 12-round boxing match for charity to raise funds for those affected by the calamity brought by the recent series of typhoons.
Torre then proceeded to prepare for the match, releasing videos and photos of him training in the ring and under the rain.
The match, dubbed as “Laban Para sa Nasalanta,” was set on July 27, 9 a.m. at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
“It is now up to him whether he shows up or not,” Torre said.
On July 25, Duterte, who had issued conditions before meeting Torre inside the boxing ring, flew to Singapore.
10-second countdown
The event gave birth to a new political darling, the country’s police chief, who entered the ring at 10:30 a.m. amid shouts of support for him and taunts against Duterte.
“I am inviting everyone here to count down to 10. If his opponent does not arrive, he will be declared the winner,” the referee told spectators.
The Games and Amusement Board (GAB) had recommended a “qualified and accredited” referee to officiate the match. He had yet to be identified as of this writing.
GAB also directed its medical personnel to be on hand “to assist the participants should the need arise.”
Torre’s hand was raised after the 10-second countdown and he was declared winner by default as cheers from the audience drowned out the rest of the referee’s announcement.
Based on PNP Public Information Office data, over 2,000 people attended despite Duterte earlier stating he would skip the fight he initiated.
Over P20M raised
After the match, Torre announced that over P300,000 was collected from entrance fees alone. Tickets were priced at P100 for Upper Box, P500 for Lower Box, P3,700 for Patron, and P5,400 for floor seats.
Various companies also handed over P16 million in cash donations and P4.2 million worth of rice and canned goods.
Boxing legend and former Sen. Manny Pacquiao donated one of his boxing belts which Torre presented to the audience, saying this would be auctioned off.
The program began with several performances from the PNP and three preliminary matches, complete with round girls, with police personnel participating.
Several government officials, including Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, were spotted in the venue.
Torre said the proceeds and donations will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Philippine Red Cross and its Quezon City chapter.
No more match
Torre ruled out another boxing match with Duterte, saying the latter’s statements no longer had any “logic.”
“I have a lot of work and this is not worth responding to,” Torre told reporters.
“As you can see, we exerted a lot of effort in this event. I don’t think he is worth responding to at this point. We should just let him be in his own world,” he added.
In a Facebook video uploaded on Saturday, Duterte said he had “other things to do” and that Torre did not coordinate the fight schedule with him.
He instead proposed that the fight be rescheduled to Tuesday or Wednesday, with “no cameras” and “no gloves.”
‘Not true to his word’
The PNP chief said Duterte’s decision to skip the match puts his credibility in question.
“Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I wonder what kind of supporters he has knowing that he is not true to his word. We will not be among the people he fools,” Torre said.
He also explained that the PNP proceeded with the match because assistance could no longer be delayed for those affected by the southwest monsoon (“habagat”) and Severe Tropical Storms “Crising,” “Dante” and “Emong.”
“As policemen, we are also front-liners and we see the ordeal that the affected citizens face, that’s why when the mayor issued that statement, we saw it as an opportunity to raise funds outside government resources,” he said.
The PNP chief visited flood-hit communities near Baseco port in Manila after the match.
