PNP chief Police General Nicolas Torre III was seen jogging ten laps under the rain at Camp Crame’s oval on Friday morning as part of his preparation for the highly publicized charity boxing match against Davao City Acting Mayor Baste Duterte, set this Sunday.
“Chief PNP jogged around the PNP oval in the middle of the rain. Ten rounds. Part of his preparation for Sunday’s charity boxing match,” said PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo, according to a report by GMA News Online.
Despite the morning workout, Torre was expected to continue with his official duties and attend scheduled conferences later that day.
The bout will be held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila. “Naka-set na actually ang Rizal Memorial Coliseum. A ring has already been set up there para sa Sunday,” Torre confirmed, adding that sponsors have pledged to provide donations to typhoon and flood victims—regardless of whether the match proceeds or not. “May mga sponsors na may nagsabi na magdo-donate na lang ng mga ayuda sa ating mga kababayan na nasalanta ng bagyo at baha,” he added.
But not everyone is on board with the event.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla criticized Duterte for prioritizing a fistfight instead of responding to the country’s weather crisis. “He picks a fight to show his machismo. He should have helped the people instead. It shows poor character and zero empathy to the people who matter,” Remulla told GMA News Online.
“People here in Luzon and parts of Visayas have been suffering from 10 days of continuous rain. 50,000 fishermen have not gone out to sea to earn a living,” he added.
For Remulla, the acting mayor underestimated his opponent. “[General Torre] was bullied as a kid… From what I gather from his friends, he never backed out of a fight in his life. Even though the classmate was a foot taller and 30 lbs heavier, he never backed down.”
“[Acting Mayor] Baste picked the wrong fight,” he concluded.
Baste Duterte, meanwhile, threw down his own terms for the event to push through. “Let me lay my own conditions for the event, kung serious ka talaga ha?… pakiusapan mo yang amo na Presidente and let it come out of his mouth that all elected officials should undergo a hair follicle drug test,” he said in a video posted online.
The acting mayor also lashed out at Torre’s charity claim. “Huwag kang mag-alala Torre, kasi matagal ko na talaga gusto makabugbog ng unggoy,” he said. “Kung gusto mo lang talaga ng suntukan, bakit kailangan mo pa ng charity, charity?”
The verbal exchange stems from a long-standing tension, notably after Torre led the March 11 arrest of Duterte’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, in coordination with Interpol over an International Criminal Court warrant for crimes against humanity linked to the drug war.
