MANILA, Philippines - Senator Imee Marcos has long walked a tightrope between the family she was born into and the Dutertes she’s aligned with.

The reelectionist senator straddled both sides for months, which her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. tolerated, until she blasted — and probed — his administration over the March 11 arrest of strongman Rodrigo Duterte. After that, the President skipped mention of her name in subsequent rallies of the administration slate, prompting her to officially withdraw from it days later.

But on Monday, April 14, Imee showed, in a shock-and-awe ad, that she has secured the backing of her brother's nemesis and her friend: Vice President Sara Duterte.

Until then, voters wondered: Is she Team Marcos or Team Duterte?

The rift between the two dynasties became more apparent earlier this year. In January, Speaker Martin Romualdez — a key Marcos ally and Imee’s cousin — led the charge to impeach Sara. Still, Imee joined her brother's senatorial slate, attending its kick-off rally in Laoag City, hometown of the Marcoses.

Nerve’s analysis of posts from March 1 to 31, 2025, on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, showed that Imee trended among top senatorial contenders, but for all the wrong reasons. Critics slammed her for playing both sides.

Online users called her “namamangka sa dalawang ilog” (paddling two rivers) and “doble kara” (two-faced), accusing her of switching sides whenever convenient. Others called her out for turning her back on her own brother.

“Baliktad ata ikaw yung laging nakaupo sa mga Duterte kahit minumura na at niyuyurakan ang pangalan (ng pamilya niniyo) nakatawa ka pa rin. Kasama mo silang tumatawa,” a Facebook user commented. 

(It seems like it’s the other way around — you’re the one always siding with the Dutertes, even when they're already cursing and tarnishing your family’s name, you’re still laughing. You’re laughing along with them.)

Imee also racked up major media mileage compared to other senatorial bets, according to Nerve’s analysis of online news reports during the same period.

Her shifting stance showed in campaign sorties too. Imee initially said she was withdrawing from the administration slate, but kept showing up at their rallies, up until Duterte’s arrest on March 11.

The fallout between the siblings was reflected in the numbers. From a strong 43.3% in January 2025, Imee’s ratings plunged to 27.6% in March, booting her out of Pulse Asia’s “Magic 12.” She now hovers on dangerous ground: 13th to 18th place.

Despite backing away from the Marcos slate, Imee did not immediately secure an endorsement from her friend Sara. When asked about endorsing Imee, Sara dodged the question in a press conference on March 20. All the senator got was a polite “thank you” for opening a Senate probe into her father’s ICC case.

Reaping rewards

While Imee continued to stumble in the most recent survey, Duterte’s staunchest loyal allies who are running for the Senate saw their numbers soar after his arrest. This came as no surprise for reelectionist senators Bato dela Rosa and Bong Go, who dominated the online media landscape following Duterte’s arrest. 

Go went to Villamor Airbase, where his boss was held before being flown to The Hague on March 11, to deliver pizza to him. Videos and photos of him trying to convince the officers guarding the air base to let him in so he could deliver pizza to Duterte, his wife Honeylet, and youngest daughter Kitty, went viral and became the subject of memes.    

Dela Rosa drew ridicule, on X and Facebook, after suggesting he might go into hiding to avoid ICC prosecution. This stood in stark contrast to his earlier tough talk. But he was always in the news — attempting to hide, appearing like a victim of injustice, and even serenading Duterte virtually with a birthday song.

The ICC drama immediately benefited Duterte’s camp. A Pulse Asia survey from March 23 to 29 showed Go taking the top spot from ACT-CIS Representative Erwin Tulfo, who had been leading in the surveys for months. Go enjoyed 61.9% public support. Dela Rosa saw his preference numbers rise by 4 percentage points to 48.7%, pushing him up to rank 2-3 in the same survey.

Other Duterte allies also gained ground.

Imee Marcos now hopes that it will be her turn to rise in April given Sara Duterte's endorsement. The question is, will the Duterte base come around to rescue a Marcos? – Rappler.com

This story is part of Rappler and The Nerve’s ongoing series capturing social media trends and public sentiment surrounding the top senatorial candidates for the 2025 midterm elections. Read the previous stories here:

• [DECODED] What the Pepsi Paloma movie could mean for Tito Sotto’s Senate bid
• [DECODED] From gold medals to scandals: Who’s hot in the 2025 Senate race?
• [DECODED] Dr. Willie Ong’s cancer disclosure: Boost or blow to his Senate campaign?
• [DECODED] Duterte’s drug war haunts Dela Rosa and Bong Go’s Senate bids

This story was originally published on Rappler on April 15, 2025. It was made in collaboration with The Nerve, a data forensics company that enables changemakers to navigate real-world trends and issues through narrative and network investigations. Taking the best of human and machine, we enable partners to unlock powerful insights that shape informed decisions. Composed of a team of data scientists, strategists, award-winning storytellers, and designers, the company is on a mission to deliver data with real-world impact.