Baste Dares Torre to a Fight — Torre Agrees
NICOLAS TORRE III – The PNP Chief has accepted Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte’s challenge to a fistfight — but with a twist. Torre proposed turning the challenge into a charity boxing match to support those affected by recent storms and flooding.
The challenge came during Baste’s podcast, Basta Dabawenyo, where he accused Torre of being brave only because of his position. The mayor claimed he could take Torre in a physical fight.
In response, Torre, speaking to the media in Calabarzon, suggested turning the fight into a charity event. “Many of our citizens now are in need of help and affected by the storms and the floods. So, maybe this is a very good time for a charity boxing match,” he said. He even proposed holding it on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum and jokingly suggested that Manny Pacquiao could serve as the referee.
Tension between the two has been building for months. In March, Torre—then head of the CIDG—led the service of an arrest warrant against Baste’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte. The friction intensified in June when Torre was promoted to full general and appointed PNP Chief.
Baste criticized the promotion, claiming Torre skipped ranks and didn’t deserve the position. In defense, Torre pointed out that former President Duterte similarly appointed Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa as PNP Chief in 2016 while he was only a one-star general — also a significant leap in rank.
Meanwhile, Baste Duterte is serving as acting mayor of Davao City because his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, is detained by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and has not taken his oath as mayor. Since the position is considered vacant, the DILG appointed Baste, the vice mayor, as acting mayor to ensure leadership continuity.