27/07/2025
TORRE, THE NATIONAL LAUGHING STOCK, AS THE COUNTRY DROWNS
Over half a million Filipino families—533,213 to be exact—have been affected by severe weather and flooding across the country in recent days. According to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), about 25,000 families are currently housed in 732 evacuation centers, while 21,000 more have sought refuge elsewhere.
This level of government response, unfortunately, falls short.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has warned that Metro Manila and 36 other provinces will continue to experience heavy rains due to Typhoon Emong and the southwest monsoon or habagat.
Flooding has already affected 44 major road sections in Metro Manila, including two that are impassable, 33 still open to traffic, and 9 with restricted access, passable only to heavy vehicles.
The death toll continues to rise. The Philippine National Police (PNP) reports 12 deaths, 7 injuries, and 9 missing persons due to the floods and severe weather. The NDRRMC similarly records 7 deaths, 7 injuries, and 8 missing persons. These numbers are not just statistics, these are human lives, and they reflect the government’s slow and disorganized disaster response.
Instead of focusing efforts on effective search, rescue, and relief operations, the nation’s attention was diverted by a spectacle. PNP Chief Gen. Nicholas Torre found himself in the spotlight—but not for leading a commendable rescue effort. Rather, he engaged in a highly publicized exchange with Davao City Acting Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte, over a supposed “boxing match.”
For clarity: the mayor never challenged him to a boxing match, but to a fistfight—clearly said in frustration. Yet the Marcos administration capitalized on this moment, turning it into a national distraction.
Behind this circus act is a more calculated agenda: a PR diversion to mask the government’s incompetence, the missing 5,500 flood control projects, and the real number of casualties in the recent flooding.
While Filipinos are reeling from floods and loss of life, authorities were more focused on optics and petty showdowns.
Adding insult to injury, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) took photos of Mayor Duterte and his family at the airport on their way to Singapore—an act that violates privacy and suggests a coordinated effort to discredit him.
It’s no secret that Mayor Duterte is now the president of PDP–Laban, a rising force for 2028. Smearing his name is part of a broader political play.
Before any public official can travel abroad for leave or vacation, they must first secure clearance approved by the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (SILG). Mayor Baste complied with this requirement, and the government was fully aware of his scheduled trip. Despite this, they went ahead with the so-called boxing match on the very day he was out of the country.
The narrative? Baste is duwag. Supot. Walang paninindigan. Takot.
Meanwhile, Gen. Torre presents himself as a strongman—but Filipinos see through the act. His failure to prioritize real leadership in a time of national crisis speaks volumes.
He could’ve deployed more PNP personnel to assist flood victims and support recovery efforts. Instead, he mobilized police forces to fill the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Malate for his so-called boxing match. A complete misplacement of priorities. Shame.
History will not remember him for courage or competence, but as a politicized PNP Chief more interested in headlines than in public service.
What the people deserve now is action, not theatrics. Leadership, not mock fights. Compassion, not manipulation.
And in the middle of it all, Filipinos continue to suffer—not just from the floods, but from a government more focused on distraction than delivering results.
Torre is indeed the PNP-Cheap! 🥊
Editorial: Tio Moreno
PS|| This is my commentary about the misplaced priorities of Marcos government and the clownery of Gen. Nicholas Torre. The other pieces of information here can be verified online. No fake news here, just opinionated facts.
