In the Philippines, online supporters of President Marcos Jnr and Rodrigo Duterte turn on each other

Supporters of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte and current leader Ferdinand Marcos Jnr have turned on each other on social media, amid a dramatic fallout between the two, with the online clash turning ugly after supporters from both sides played a significant role in both leaders’ rise to power.

There has been a video on the same page since last month, saying Marcos Jnr will suffer a “withdrawal of support” from disgruntled military officers.

Marcos Jnr supporters gloat on their own pages about how Duterte will soon be arrested and hauled off to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, to be tried and sentenced for crimes against humanity. In the comments, a Marcos loyalist calls Duterte “Mang Kanor” – a coarse nickname given to an old man who allegedly starred in a sex video with a young girl.

It’s a far cry from 2022, when supporters from both sides worked together to support the election campaign of Marcos Jnr and his vice-presidential running mate, Duterte’s daughter Sara. Marcos Jnr and Sara had initially both vied for the presidency but later agreed to form a “uniteam” with Marcos Jnr running for the top spot and Sara switching to vice-president.

But ties between Marcos Jnr and the Dutertes deteriorated after he won the presidency.

When she became vice-president in 2022, Sara asked for the position of defence secretary. She was denied that and given the education minister role instead. She also demanded a “confidential” fund of 250 million pesos (US$4.4 million) but received half of the amount.

Last year, she alluded to a key Marcos relative as a tambaloslos – a Visayan insult referring to a mythical tiny demon-like creature with a huge mouth and prominent genitals. The elder Duterte later weighed in