Ring Ready, But Baste Wants Bout On July 29

Will Davao City acting mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte man up and face Philippine National Police chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III in the ring this Sunday, July 27?

According to the PNP, whether or not Duterte, who was the one who challenged Torre to a fistfight in the first place, shows up at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila, the boxing match will still take place.

PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said Torre will be at the venue for the charity event, which starts at around 9 a.m.

To entertain the audience, she said they have set up three undercard exhibition matches before Torre’s potential showdown with Duterte.

“We have members of the PNP boxing team who will be there so that while we are waiting, people who want to watch the fight will be entertained,” she told radio dzBB yesterday.

Fajardo did not go into details but said they have a lot of sponsors for the event who have pledged donations for the flood victims.

Proceeds from the event will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. It was Torre who proposed that his boxing match with Duterte become a charity drive for storm victims.

On whether Duterte will show up for the fight, Torre earlier said: “It’s up to him. He was the one who issued the challenge. On my end, I just accepted the challenge.”

The Davao City acting mayor is currently in Singapore with his family and staff. He had belatedly set conditions, after Torre accepted his challenge, that are nearly impossible to meet – such as all elected government officials, including President Marcos, taking hair follicle drug tests – before he agrees to the boxing match, seen by the public as an attempt to get out of the fight and an act of cowardice.

“The PNP chief does not want to comment on those (conditions) because he was just responding to a challenge issued to him,” Fajardo said.

Not afraid?

Duterte, in a video on Saturday, July 26, denied claims he is dodging Torre.

“I am not afraid of Torre. It is just that he is already old and could be as old as my grandfather, if ever,” he said.

In a subsequent podcast aired, Baste said he is game to square off with Torre, just not this weekend.

“Just not on Sunday. Tuesday (July 27) I am available already,” he said.

Duterte, who was photographed on board a plane on Friday, July 25, said he already has a family day schedule with his family today, but is available between Tuesday to Friday next week.

“You set a schedule without talking to me first,” he told Torre.

He added that Torre can use the time to train further as he needs to work on his defense more.

Duterte clarified that he did not challenge Torre to a slugfest but was simply expressing his dissatisfaction with him.

“I did not challenge you, stupid. You are just as stupid as the journalist that asked you that question,” he said.

Baste’s brother, Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, earlier suggested that the two of them sign a waiver in case of any eventuality.

Pulong also urged Torre to just donate the money he allegedly received for arresting their father, detained former president Rodrigo Duterte.

“You, PNP chief, you already have a lot of money. We all know how much you received for taking my father. Why don’t you donate directly to the flood victims? You had to use my brother as a condition,” he said.

‘Impossible request’

According to Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Baste’s demand that all government officials undergo a hair follicle drug test before he fights PNP chief Torre in the ring is an impossible request.

“I found it slightly funny because that condition is impossible to comply with. He (Duterte) said not only the President, but all elected officials must undergo hair follicle drug test,” he said over radio dwIZ.

Lacson said there are more than 18,000 elected officials in government – excluding barangay officials.

“We are 18,320 more or less from President down to the mayors and councilors. Would everyone undergo a hair follicle test just so the boxing match can proceed? I don’t think so,” Lacson said.

“That’s a way of saying let’s just do away with the fight,” he added.

Lacson also criticized Duterte for insulting Torre’s facial features and calling him a “monkey.”

“I have long sought to beat up a monkey. If you just wanted a fistfight, why do you want it to be charity-related?” Duterte said about Torre in a video message on Facebook.

“It doesn’t look good for an elected official to call another public servant a monkey. For me (it leaves) a bad taste in the mouth,” the former PNP chief noted. – With additional reports from Diana Lhyd Suelto, Marc Jayson Cayabyab and Edith Regalado