Roxas dares Duterte to fistfight, mayor counters with gunfight proposal

Liberal Party presidential candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas II on Tuesday challenged PDP-Laban candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to a fistfight, even as the latter issued his own challenge for a gunfight.

"Sampalan? Bakit sampalan, pambabae 'yan. Suntukan na lang 'di ba?" said Roxas during Tuesday's broadcast of GMA 7 news program “Saksi”.

Roxas added that he'd had enough of Duterte's bullying, and he also took umbrage at the mayor's accusation that he did not actually graduate from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

GMA News had earlier confirmed with the Wharton School that Roxas had earned his B.S. Economics degree at the school in 1979. Roxas was also listed as an alumnus in the school's website.

However, Duterte was still not convinced. "Wala 'yan, ginawa lang 'yan sa Recto [Avenue]. Show me a diploma and the graduation ceremony nakatoga kasama ang nanay mo," inisted the mayor.

Duterte, who still had not learned of Roxas's fistfight-challange, then also challenged Roxas to a gunfight rather than a slap-fest. "Barilan na lang," said the mayor. "Ang mga mayayaman takot 'yan mamatay. Ano naman ang katatakutan ko."

Duterte had also earlier gotten into a slapping-challenge with House Speaker Felicano Belmonte, this time over the mayor's claims that he had summarily executed suspects. — DVM, GMA News