Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has left the country just days before his anticipated boxing match with Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed Duterte flew to Singapore at 7:10 a.m. on July 25 via Scoot Airlines, accompanied by family and staff.
The boxing duel, set for July 27 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, stemmed from Duterte’s challenge for a fistfight as he blasted Torre’s promotion and involvement in the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte—now detained in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.
Torre had accepted the challenge and planned to turn the bout into a charity event for victims of Typhoon Crising and recent floods caused by the southwest monsoon.
Unfazed by Duterte’s departure, the police chief continued training, jogging 10 rainy laps around Camp Crame’s oval the same morning Duterte left. (Jeffrey Damicog, Martin Sadongdong)
