Navotas City lone district Rep. Toby Tiangco (left), former president Rodrigo Duterte (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Navotas City lone district Rep. Toby Tiangco simply dismissed Rodrigo Duterte's tirades against President Marcos as just part of the ex-president's usual "playbook" against his perceived foes.

In an interview over the weekend, Tiangco was asked to react to former president Duterte's accusation during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) senatorial slate proclamation rally that Marcos was a drug user.

The Navotas congressman said this wasn't exactly new as far as Duterte rhetoric is concerned.

"Kasi ‘di ba ganoon naman yung playbook ni president Duterte ‘di ba? Even before basta’t kalaban niya, yun naman yung number one accusation niya. Either drug user o drug pusher ‘di ba? So bakit pa natin papatulan yung bagay na ‘yon," Tiangco said.

(That's how president Duterte's playbook works, right? Even before, whenever he has an enemy, that's his number one accusation. You're either a drug user or drug pusher right? So why should we even respond to that.)

"It’s a playbook. It’s already a formula, basta’t kalaban ikaw ay pusher o user (if you're an enemy then you're automatically a pusher or user)," undered the solon, whom Marcos handpicked to be campaign manager of the administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate.

Asked if he thinks President Marcos would address the accusation in future campaign sorties of Alyansa, Tiangco said, "I hope not."

As for the 12-member Alyansa slate, Tiangco says they don't pay attention to whatever the opposition is saying.

"Basta yung pinag-uusapan namin, ano yung plataporma, ano yung mga dapat mong ipaalam, kasi may sari-sarili naman sila (What we've been discussing are the platforms, the things that you need to inform the people about, because it's different for each candidate)," he said.

Duterte, who is Marcos' direct predecessor in Malacañang, chairs the PDP-Laban party.