Former president Rodrigo Duterte (left), President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Malacañang photo, Facebook)

Filipinos love former president Rodrigo Duterte. They don't love President Marcos.

Davao del Norte 1st district Rep. Pantaloon Alvarez confidently made this declaration in a statement Friday, March 21, as he gave commentary on the evolving dynamic between Duterte, Marcos, and their respective political allies.

"Mahal ng mga Pilipino si Tatay Digong, at hindi nila mahal si Mr. Marcos. Tapos yung mga kaalyado ni Marcos ngayon, tulad ng mga liberal ay mga kaliwa, ayaw din sa kanya," Alvarez, a former House Speaker under Duterte’s administration, said.

(Filipinos love Tatay Digong, and they don't love Mr. Marcos. And Marcos' current allies, like the liberals and leftists, also don't like him.)

"Sinasamahan lang siya dahil gusto nila yung ginagawa ni Marcos na pag-initan ang mga Duterte. Pero hindi nila mahal si Marcos," he claimed.

(They're only with him because they like the Marcos' I'll treatment of the Dutertes. But they don't love Marcos.)

As if taunting the sitting Chief Executive, Alvarez went as far as to describe him as "insecure".

"Masakit yan, kasi ibig sabihin kahit anong oras puwede siya ilaglag ng mga nakapalibot sa kanya, at puwede siya iwanan ng taong bayan. Insecure di ba?" the Mindanaoan said.

(That hurts, because it means that those around him can forsake him anytime, and the people can leave him behind. That's insecurity right?)

"Kaya imbes na may kalaban siya para sa pagmamahal ng mga Pilipino, pinadampot na lang niya at sinuko si Tatay Digong sa ICC,” he added.

(That's why he had Tatay Digong arrested and surrendered to the ICC, so that he won't have to compete with anyone for the love of Filipinos.)

Duterte, Marcos' direct predecessor, served as president from 2016 to 2022.