PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief General Nicolas Torre III admitted he was not informed about Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte’s approved travel authority before the latter left the country, leading to Duterte’s absence at their highly publicized charity boxing match.
“I wasn’t aware of that travel document,” Torre told reporters in a press briefing at Camp Crame on Monday, July 28, 2025, a day after he was declared winner by default.
Duterte, in response, released an official document on social media showing he had secured a travel authority on July 20, signed by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who was present at the match held on July 27 at Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.
In his “Basta Dabawenyo” podcast aired on July 26, Duterte mocked the PNP chief, criticizing his boxing form and suggesting that Torre lacked both physical and mental readiness.
The boxing match stemmed from an online word war between the two public officials, which began after Torre, then Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief, led the arrest of Duterte’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and his transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC) earlier this year.
Torre also oversaw the arrest of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy while serving as regional police chief in Davao.
Duterte earlier challenged Torre to a fistfight, accusing him of being a coward and claiming he could easily beat him.
Torre responded by turning the challenge into a charity boxing match, with proceeds to benefit victims of recent typhoons and flooding in Luzon.
While Torre pushed through with the event, Duterte flew to Singapore on July 25 and did not show up. Torre was declared winner by default.
In his podcast, Duterte criticized Torre for setting the match on a Sunday without prior consultation with him and accused the PNP chief of using the match as a distraction from more pressing issues, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent trip to the U.S. and the devastating floods in Luzon.
He proposed two options: either Marcos orders all elected officials to undergo hair follicle drug testing, or he would personally fight Torre in private, without gloves or cameras.
The charity event pushed through despite Duterte’s absence and reportedly raised more than P16 million in cash donations and P4.2 million worth of in-kind goods, including rice, canned food, and other basic necessities. Ticket sales brought in an additional P340,000.
Torre said the proceeds would be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Philippine Red Cross for distribution to families affected by the recent calamities.
Torre added that he will no longer entertain or respond to the Davao City mayor's provocations, stressing that he has more pressing responsibilities as PNP chief and cannot continue to waste time on what he described as distraction. DEF