The group, Alyansa Duterte Bongbong (ALDUB), organized only four  months ago, is practically dead. Marcos graced the launched of ALDUB with Congressman Karlo Nograles, one of the spearheads of the group.

The premature death of ALDUB came as Marcos joined other critics in assailing Duterte, now front-running presidential surveys, over the mayor’s now controversial “rape joke.”

Accordingly, organizers of ALDUB who are Duterte supporters reacted strongly to Marcos’ attack and are disbanding the group including its chapters nation-wide.

The camp of Duterte is not shedding a tear over the death of ALDUB.

To us there has never been a Duterte-Bongbong tandem, said a source in the Duterte camp who asked anonymity for lack of authority to speak on the matter.

Duterte has Senator Peter Allan Cayetano as vice president under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino/Laban (PDP/Laban).

But groups supporting other vice presidentiables are pairing their candidates with Duterte.

Duterte is now the front runner in the May presidential derby and has led recent surveys by Social Weather Stations, Pulse Asia and ABS-CBN.

The group Duterte-Cayetano (DUCAY) is the most active campaigner in social media for the PDP/Laban tandem.

The demise of ALDUB is a boon to another group pushing Senator Chiz Escudero for vice president in tandem with Duterte. 

Votes from Marcos swinging to Escudero could make a difference in surveys currently topped by Marcos who is followed closely by Escudero, according to observers aware of ALDUB’s demise.

The observers also said Escudero’s winning chance would grow bigger to dislodge Marcos, if supporters of Cayetano, who has not improved his third-fourth place finish in surveys, would opt for a winning candidate and pick Escudero as an alternative to Cayetano. Supporters of Escudero have also organized a Duterte-Escudero tandem dubbed DUCHIZ.

The Marcos assault on Duterte has been widely reportedly in media:

MANILA, Philippines – Tuluyan nang inilag­lag ni Vice Presidential candidate Sen. Bongbong Marcos si Presidential Candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte at sinabihang maging sensitibo naman ito sa mga biktima ng karahasan matapos na rin ang kontrobesiyal na komento nito sa isang biktima ng rape.

Sa isang panayam kay Marcos, sinabi nito na kinakailangan na maging sensitibo si Duterte lalo na sa sitwasyon ng mga biktima ng karumal-dumal na krimen, ang naging pahayag umano ng kandidato ay maituturing na “inappropriate”.

Binatikos din ni Marcos at ang katandem nitong si Presidential candidate Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago si Duterte na hindi umano karapat-dapat sa pagkapangulo dahil sa mga iresponsableng pahayag. Giit pa nito, na galit man o biro ang naging pahayag ni Duterte ukol sa rape victim ay repleksyon kung paano mag-isip ang isang lider.

Una nang nilapitan ni Marcos si Duterte na ma­­ging runningmate nito ngunit ang pinili ng alkalde ay si Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.

Nagkaroon din ng pagtatalo sa isang debate sina Marcos at Cayetano matapos patutsadahan ito ni Marcos na sa kanya umano ibibigay ni Duterte ang pampanguluhan sakaling mawala ito sa pwesto at hindi kay Cayetano.

Una nang sinabi ni Ca­yetano sa VP debate na solid Duterte ito ‘di gaya ni Marcos na kapag nasa Cavite ay Binay-Bongbong, pag nasa Ilocos naman ay Binay-Poe-Bongbong, kapag nasa Mindanao naman ay Duterte-Bongbong.