Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III fired back at acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, who recently referred to him as a “monkey” in response to the PNP chief’s proposal for a charity boxing match.
“Dahil ba maitim ako? Pare-pareho tayong Pilipino. Marami namang kasing-itim ko na Pilipino. So, lahat kami unggoy?” Torre said in a press briefing at Camp Crame, directly addressing Duterte’s controversial comment.
The insult came after Torre suggested a charity boxing match to raise funds for flood victims. Duterte, however, mocked the idea during a podcast aired on July 20, saying, “Huwag ka mag-alala, Torre, kasi matagal ko na talaga gusto makabugbog ng unggoy.”
Despite the taunts, Torre went ahead and secured the Rizal Memorial Coliseum for a match scheduled on July 27. But Duterte was a no-show. The Bureau of Immigration and National Bureau of Investigation confirmed that the mayor had flown to Singapore on the Friday before the match.
In defense, Duterte claimed he had secured a travel authority from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) prior to Torre setting the event date. When asked about this document, Torre simply responded, “I’m not aware of that travel document.”
The match, billed as a charity effort, went on without Duterte and raised millions in aid and relief goods. Torre was declared the winner by default.
