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.
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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.”