Last month, the long-simmering feud between the Philippines’ two most powerful political families reached a boiling point. Even by his own standards, former President Rodrigo Duterte seemed particularly unhinged, calling his successor, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., “a drug addict” during a public rally in his home city of Davao in southern Philippines. As if that weren’t enough, Duterte also warned of a popular revolt and even flirted with the idea of spearheading the secession of the southern island of Mindanao from the Philippines. Meanwhile, Duterte’s son, Sebastian, the current mayor of Davao, called on Marcos to “resign” from office. The usually urbane and soft-spoken Marcos struck back by openly accusing Duterte himself of drug abuse.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 27, 2024 13:58 UTC