P16.3 M Raised for Charity By default, Torre wins vs no-show Baste

Despite the absence of acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte in the charity boxing match against Philippine National Police chief Gen.

- By Mark Ernest Villeza and Rainier Allan Ronda

Nicolas Torre III, the event held yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum collected nearly P16.3 million in cash donations.

Torre was declared winner by default after Duterte failed to appear for the bout.

The event was initially organized as a response to Duterte's online challenge and repurposed into a fundraising campaign for disaster-stricken communities.

Ticket sales reached P350,000, while in-kind donations, including sacks of rice and canned goods, filled multiple trucks.

Torre said the aid will benefit victims of the southwest monsoon or habagat and other recent weather disturbances.

"There were already statements that he wouldn't show up, so we pushed through with the event because many people already paid," Torre told reporters afterwards.

"We have to show up and give the people what they expect. People were expecting he wouldn't come, so I just made sure to show up," he added.

The police chief said an additional P300,000 in donations was pledged during the match itself.