More than P300K raised from ticket sales in charity boxing event with Baste, says Torre

Philippine National Police chief Police General Nicolas Torre III said more than P300,000 was raised from the ticket sales alone of the "Boxing for a Cause: Laban Para sa Nasalanta" event held at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila on Sunday.

Torre was supposed to face Davao City acting mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte in the main event, although the former was declared winner by default as the latter did not show up.

"Marami ang nagbayad. Nakalikom tayo ng mga P350,000 sa gates eh, so we have to show up and give the people what they expect," Torre told reporters.

(Many paid [for tickets]. We were able to raise around P350,000 at the gates, so we have to show up and give the people what they expect.)

Ticket prices for the boxing event ranged from as low as P100 to as high as P5,400.

Including the ticket sales, Torre said they have raised around P16.3 million in cash donations, on top of donations in kind such as canned goods and sacks of rice. These will be for the benefit of Filipinos who were among those affected by the flooding due to the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) and tropical cyclones Crising, Dante, and Emong.

According to Torre, they have coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Philippine Red Cross regarding the donations. The PNP chief added he will go to the Baseco community in Manila to distribute relief goods.

Torre said the urgency of helping those in need of relief was the reason why the event pushed through as well, despite earlier statements that Duterte may not show up.

"Kaming mga pulis ang first responders, nasa frontline kami, kaya nakita natin ang hirap ng ating mga kababayan. Nu'ng nag-issue ng ganu'ng statement si Vice Mayor [Duterte], nakita ko na uy, maganda ito. We can raise funds outside of government resources," Torre said.

(We, the police, are first responders. We are on the frontline, so we saw the hardship experienced by our countrymen. When Vice Mayor issued a statement, I saw that, hey, this is good. We can raise fund outside of government resources.)

Why did the event push through even if Davao City acting mayor Baste Duterte did not show up? Torre said they still wanted to raise funds for charity @gmanews pic.twitter.com/BmuZwQqrrM

— JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) July 27, 2025

"Ang government resources nandiyan naman pero maganda na rin siguro na 'yung nasa private sector and ibang tao na outside sa fund-generating agencies ng gobyerno ay makapag-generate din ng pondo at tulong sa ating kababayan," he added.

(The government resources are there, but it's also good that the private sector and others outside the fund-generating agencies can generate funds to help our countrymen.)

Torre also later announced a "fake news alert" over a post claiming that police officers were forced to attend the boxing match.

"Hindi po totoo na inobliga natin ang mga pulis na umatend sa charity boxing match. Hindi po kailangan kasi kinulang na nga kami ng ticket na maibenta di ba?" he said on Facebook.

(It's not true that we made police officers attend the charity boxing match. That wouldn't even be necessary because we ran out of tickets to sell, didn't we?)

Torre vs Duterte II? 

Asked if he has a message for the Davao City vice mayor, Torre said, "Wala naman, walang dapat pag-usapan (None, there is nothing to talk about) after all the things that were said and done."

Regarding Duterte's previous condition that government officials should undergo hair follicle test, Torre said the matter should be just between the two of them.

"Kaming dalawa lang naman ang involved dito... Anytime, anywhere, puwedeng puwede na mag-hair follicle test kami," he said.

(It's just us two who are involved here... Anytime, anywhere, we can have hair follicle test.)

In the event that Duterte poses another challenge to Torre, the PNP chief said he would not respond to that for now.

"Nakita n'yo naman na napakalaki ng effort na ating nilagay rito. I don't think he is worth responding to at this point in time. Hayaan na muna natin siya sa kaniyang mundo," Torre said.

(You saw how much effort we put here. I don't think he is worth responding to at this point in time. Let us let him be in his own world.)

And if the match is rescheduled as well?

"Sabihin n'yo lang at tingnan natin anong isasagot natin diyan, but I don't think really there's still logic in anything that he's saying. Ang credibility kasi parang maloko mo ako ng isang beses, shame on you. 'Pag niloko mo ako ng dalawang beses, shame on me," Torre said.

(Just tell us and we'll see how we will respond to that, but I don't think really there's still logic in anything that he's saying. As for credibility, if you fool me once, shame on you. If you fool me twice, shame on me.)

"Hindi tayo sasali sa mga taong puwede niya lokohin all the time," he added.

(We will not be among the people whom he can mock all the time.)

Aside from the main event, three undercard matches were also held in the charity boxing event. —KG/BM, GMA Integrated News