Marcos-Duterte war is a battle for the soul of Philippine democracy

Richard Heydarian is a senior lecturer at the Asian Center of the University of the Philippines and author of "The Indo-Pacific: Trump, China and the New Struggle for Global Mastery."

On July 22, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will deliver his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), announcing his main policy priorities for the coming year. Arguably, this will be his most consequential address yet, setting the tone for next year's midterm elections and, crucially, his pending war against his former allies, the Duterte dynasty.