What was billed as the showdown of the year between Davao City’s Acting Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III ended not with a bang, but with a ring walk and a countdown. Duterte never showed up. Torre won by default.

The highly publicized “Boxing for a Cause: Laban sa Nasalanta,” held Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, drew thousands of spectators, jam-packed parking areas along Adriatico Street and Vito Cruz Road, and an atmosphere thick with anticipation. The undercards rolled out. Pretty round girls paraded. The crowd roared. Then came the silence — Mayor Baste was nowhere to be found.

Spectators who had shelled out up to P5,400 for ringside seats watched as the announcer counted down in the ring. Torre, donning his gloves, took the stage alone. A belt donated by boxing icon Manny Pacquiao was brought out for show. And then it was over — Torre declared the winner by default.

“He is younger than him and he is far stronger. It could have been a knockout win for Mayor Baste,” said Mario, a street vendor and avid Duterte supporter, in vernacular. “First District Congressman Paolo Duterte was right. They have to sign waivers before the proposed bout.”

Indeed, Congressman Paolo Duterte had earlier suggested that a waiver be signed to absolve his brother of liability — just in case the PNP chief got hurt.

Baste himself had said in a video message, “I didn’t challenge you... but if we fight, I will beat you,” while adding a condition that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. mandate hair follicle drug tests for all elected officials before stepping into the ring.

Torre didn’t respond to the hair test challenge. Instead, he jogged, shadowboxed, and posted training videos on social media. Baste, on the other hand, quietly left the country with his family on Friday, bound for Singapore, according to reports.

The match — or lack thereof — wasn’t just about bravado. Despite the no-show, Torre announced that the event raised over P20 million in total, including P300,000 from ticket sales and over P16 million in donations. The proceeds will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for Filipinos affected by the southwest monsoon and recent typhoons.

“We thank Gen. Torre and the PNP for donating to the DSWD the more than P16 million... This will go a long way,” said DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao.

It was the second time Torre made headlines this month. Just months prior, he was at the center of a more controversial bout — this time involving handcuffs, not gloves.

In a case that stunned and divided the nation, Torre presided over the arrest and turnover of former President Rodrigo Duterte, the father of both Baste and Vice President Sara Duterte, to the International Criminal Court.

The arrest, which the Duterte family has characterized as a kidnapping, sent shockwaves through Mindanao and drew sharp criticism from various sectors. It, according to Duterte partisans, earned for Torre the top PNP post as a “reward.”

While legal and political ramifications continue to unfold, some observers couldn’t help but connect the dots between Torre’s ICC involvement and the failed boxing match. One spectator was overheard saying, translated from the vernacular, “as the father was hauled before the ICC, maybe Baste doesn’t want to add another black eye in their family.”

Despite the theatrics and the absence of physical combat, the event raised significant funds and perhaps even more questions. Was it a charity match? A political statement? A public feud playing out in sportswear?

Mayor Baste has since offered to reschedule the bout on “Tuesday, Wednesday, or any other day.” Whether Torre — and the nation — is still interested, however, remains to be seen.

For now, Torre holds the belt, the DSWD gets the funds, and the Philippines watches, amused and bewildered, as the bell rings on yet another surreal episode in its political circus.