Chicken run: Philippine police chief floors Duterte’s son in phantom fight
Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte’s viral public challenge against police chief Nicolas Torre fizzled into farce after he left the country
What was billed as a bruising bout between the Philippines’ police chief and a prominent Duterte heir fizzled into farce on Sunday, as the much-hyped challenger chose exile over engagement, leaving an arena and a nation watching in bemused disbelief.
Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, acting mayor of Davao and youngest son of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, challenged police chief Nicolas Torre to a fist-fight last week.
But on Sunday, as an expectant crowd gathered at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila, it was Torre who stood alone in the ring – his opponent having quietly left the country for Singapore.
As the referee counted to 10 before the 4,000 or so attendees, Torre was declared the winner by default.
The much-anticipated contest was born of the younger Duterte, 37, using his podcast on July 20 to mock Torre, 55 – a long-time target of Duterte family ire – and issue a challenge.
“You’re only brave because you have the position. But in a fist-fight, I can take you on. It’s that simple,” Duterte snarled, in remarks that quickly went viral. “You’re a coward, you’re nothing without your position.”
Torre led the police operation that saw the elder Duterte arrested in March and sent to The Hague to face trial for crimes against humanity. He also oversaw the arrest in September of Duterte ally Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who was wanted on child sex trafficking charges. Quiboloy is also accused of supplying armed support to the Dutertes in Davao.
After being informed of the challenge on Wednesday, Torre lost no time, agreeing to the bout and proposing that proceeds benefit victims of the summer’s typhoons and floods. The move garnered widespread support online, with Philippine Senator Panfilo Lacson even highlighting offers from resort owners to host the fight.
Yet as the prospect of an actual fight loomed, the younger Duterte began to equivocate. On Thursday, he escalated his rhetoric, bragging, “I’ve long wanted to beat up a monkey”, but then began insisting that all administration officials submit to drug tests as a precondition for the match.
Torre, undeterred, pressed on. He arranged a 12-round bout at the art deco Rizal Memorial Coliseum, secured sponsors and threw himself into an intense, widely publicised training regimen. News footage showed him sparring, pounding punching bags and running laps in the rain – a display of resolve that left little doubt about his commitment.
By the end of the week, Sebastian Duterte had quietly departed for Singapore with his family for “personal reasons”.
Before leaving, he released a podcast in which he shifted the goalposts further. He claimed he was only available on weekdays, questioned the charity aspect and denied ever issuing a formal challenge: “I really didn’t challenge you, I just said that if we fight I will beat you up, tanga (idiot).”
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Nuelle Duterte, a psychiatrist and estranged niece of the ex-president, told This Week in Asia that her family had a penchant for spectacle.
“They should have gone into showbiz, honestly,” she said. Regarding Sebastian’s behaviour, she added, “Digong (Rodrigo) has this tendency to assert dominance via violence. And maybe that’s what his children learned.”
No-show spectacle
At the fight on Sunday with only one contender present, Torre entered the ring, shadowboxed and waited for the referee’s count to 10.
The police chief not only won by default; he transformed the stunt into a fundraising success, announcing over 15 million pesos (US$262,000) raised for disaster relief, with former professional boxer Manny Pacquiao even donating a championship belt for auction, according to ABS-CBN news.
Torre also scored political points, which could be valuable should he seek elected office after retirement. “He has momentum and high approval ratings which I think will continue to rise,” political risk analyst Ronald Llamas, chairman of Galahad Consulting Agency and an adviser to former president Benigno Aquino, told This Week in Asia. “He was able to judo Baste, so he has some political tactical sense.”
He was able to judo Baste, so he has some political tactical senseRonald Llamas, risk analyst, on Torre’s political prospects
Sebastian, seemingly stung by the public’s reaction, suggested on social media that he would show up for a rematch.
But Torre was having none of it, telling reporters on Sunday: “I have a lot of work and this is not worth responding to. Leave him to his own world; I don’t think his words carry any logic any more.”
The police chief then departed the coliseum to oversee a convoy of relief goods, having had the last word.
Despite Sunday’s potentially embarrassing spectacle, the national government largely looked the other way. Interior minister Jonvic Remulla even attended the event, but departed as soon as the outcome was declared.
