PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief General Nicolas Torre III said on Thursday, July 24, 2025, that a boxing ring is already being set up at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila following his acceptance of a fistfight challenge from Davao City Acting Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte.
In an interview following his first day of boxing "re-training," Torre said he will be waiting for Duterte at the venue at 9 a.m. on Sunday, July 27.
“Whether he shows up or not, may mga sponsors na nagsabi na magdo-donate sila ng pang-ayuda sa ating mga kababayan na nasalanta ng bagyo at baha,” Torre said.
(Whether he shows up or not, there are already sponsors who said they will donate aid for our fellow Filipinos affected by the typhoon and flooding.)
“Yes (I will be there) kasi kung wala naman siya ay magdi-distribute na lang kami ng ayuda,” he added.
(Yes, I will be there, because if he doesn’t show up, we’ll just proceed with distributing aid.)
Torre said boxing was one of his sports when he was still a plebe at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA).
However, he admitted that at the age of 55, he is already “weak.”
“Mahina na nga ako e, pero marami nagkainteres sa larong ito kaya just to give them an entertainment, para we can have sort of credibility in showing up, nag-refresh tayo ng konti sa dati nating ginagawa. Kung mapapansin niyo, matanda na tayo, at sabi nga ng trainor ko, mahina na ang hangin, wala na ngang diin ang mga suntok. Kaya I really hope na matuloy ito para makita naman nila na na we are serious in this dahil sa ating fundraising ito at ito ay para naman sa mga typhoon victims,” said Torre.
(I admit I’m already weak, but many people have shown interest in this match, so just to give them some entertainment and to show that we’re serious about this, I decided to refresh a bit on what I used to do. As you can see, I’m already old, and as my trainer said, my stamina is low and my punches no longer have force. That’s why I really hope this pushes through, so people can see that we are serious about this — because it’s for fundraising and it’s meant to help typhoon victims.)
“Naging plebo ako. Sinusuntok nga lang ako na nakatali ang kamay sa likod e, kaya yun ang iniisip ko. Lakas lang ng loob yan,” he added.
(I was a plebe. I used to get punched even with my hands tied behind my back, so that’s what I keep in mind. It’s really just about having the guts.)
Torre shrugged off public criticism over his acceptance of Duterte’s challenge.
“Hindi naman sa patol. There was a challenge made, and I just saw an opportunity to raise funds at makatulong sa ating mga kababayan. So I just grabbed it,” Torre said.
(It’s not about picking a fight. There was a challenge made, and I simply saw an opportunity to raise funds and help our fellow Filipinos. So I just grabbed it.)
Challenge
On the July 20 episode of his podcast “Basta Dabawenyo,” Duterte took a jab at Torre, saying, “You’re only brave if you have the position. If we had a fistfight, I can take you on.”
Duterte expressed belief that the PNP will continue harassing his family, noting that he was not consulted when a new police chief was assigned to Davao City.
In March, Torre led the arrest of Duterte’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and his transfer to The Hague, Netherlands, for turnover to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC has ordered the arrest of the Duterte patriarch in connection with its investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed during his administration’s war on drugs.
Meanwhile, in a radio interview, Interior and Local Secretary Jonvic Remulla expressed support for Torre.
“Sinabi ko naman sa inyo bulldog yan e (Torre), hindi ba? pitbull e, hindi umaatras yan ha. Sobrang pagkalalaki niyan,” Remulla said.
(I told you, he's a bulldog, right? A pitbull — he doesn’t back down. That guy’s full of macho pride.)
He, however, criticized Duterte for issuing such a challenge, saying it is not a good example for the youth.
“If you have a grievance, then ilabas mo sa korte or mag-complain ka. I-blotter mo. Pero para maghamon ka ng suntukan, mayor ka pa naman ng pinakamalaking city sa Mindanao, anak ka ng dating pangulo, mataas ang tingin ng tao sa Iyo, tapos maghahamon ka ng suntukan? Anong sasabihin ng mga bata? Yang batang nakikinig na okay lang makipaghamon ng suntukan, na kung galit ka, suntukan na lang tayo? Parang doon ako nababahala na ‘yung ehemplo natin sa kabataan ay nasisira,” said Remulla.
(If you have a grievance, then bring it to court or file a complaint. Report it to the authorities. But to challenge someone to a fistfight—you're the mayor of the largest city in Mindanao, the son of a former president, people look up to you—and yet you're issuing a fistfight challenge? What will the children think? That it’s okay to challenge someone to a fight when you're angry? That’s what worries me—the example we’re setting for the youth is being damaged.)
“Pero ang hula ko, wala naman mangyayari diyan. Kantyawan lang. Pero ‘yung minumura niya yung chief PNP, mali naman yun. Tapos hinahamon niya ng sapakan, mali naman yun,” he added.
(But my guess is, nothing will really happen. It’s just trash talk. But the fact that he’s cursing at the PNP chief—that’s wrong. And then he challenges him to a fistfight—that's wrong too.) (TPM/SunStar Philippines)