Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Nicolas Torre III has fired back at pro-Duterte influencer Tio Moreno, who recently called him a “national laughing stock” over a charity boxing event.
Torre defended his participation in the match, which aimed to raise funds for typhoon victims.
“National laughing stock daw ako dahil sa boxing kung saan naduwag ang idol (niya). E sa event na yun, we raised millions of pesos para sa mga taong sinasabi (niyang) nalulunod sa bagyo at baha nung mga panahong iyon,” he said in a social media post. “Ngayon sino ang laughing stock?”
The dispute dates back to July 2025, when Torre—then a former PNP chief—accepted a fistfight challenge from Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte during Typhoon Crising.
The match, scheduled at Rizal Memorial Coliseum, did not push through after Duterte failed to appear.
Torre was declared winner by default, with the event raising over ₱20 million in donations for disaster victims.
The online spat resurfaced after Torre reacted to Moreno’s recent post attacking actress-singer Sharon Cuneta, who had jokingly remarked to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. about choosing the wrong running mate in 2022.
Torre dismissed Moreno’s attacks as baseless, emphasizing that the charity event successfully fulfilled its purpose of aiding typhoon victims.