Guessing what comes next after the first salvo of cutting insults cracked wide open the shaky Marcos-Duterte alliance of convenience is practically pointless.

We readily can’t make out the political import of the broken alliance based on the first salvo of insults alone. We have to let matters unfold. In fact, for the time being, what we can only do is stock up on popcorn or chicharon while waiting for more insults.

Still, the first salvo of insults is in itself fascinating. Pondering the invectives thrown so far gives us a picture of the contrasting styles of the dueling protagonists on how they give and return insults.

More importantly, the mudslinging might qualify as a sought-after vignette in Philippine political history.

For posterity’s sake then, herein follows the relevant invectives.

Familiar by now is that Davao’s reigning potentate, Rodrigo Duterte, unleashed “first strike” insults at the tail-end of a 49-minute tirade at a (of all events!) prayer rally.

“Bongbong, bangag ‘yan. That’s why sinasabi ko sa inyo. Si Bongbong Marcos bangag noon. Ngayong presidente na, bangag ang ating presidente. Kayong mga military alam ninyo ‘yan, lalo na ‘yong mga nasa Malacañang, alam ninyo. The Armed Forces of the Philippines, alam ninyo. May drug addict tayo na presidente! P_ _ _ _g i_ __g ‘yan!”

(Bongbong, he’s high. That’s why I’m telling you. Bongbong Marcos was high back then. Now that he’s the president, he’s still high. You, in the military, especially those in Malacañang, you know it. The Armed Forces of the Philippines, you know it. We have a drug addict for a president! That son of a whore!”)

A day later, President Bongbong Marcos was initially chill about Duterte’s curse-laden bombs. But he couldn’t help himself.

“I think it’s the fentanyl. Fentanyl is the strongest killer you can buy. It is highly addictive, and it has very serious side effects, and Duterte has been taking the drug for a very long time now. When was the last time he told us he was taking fentanyl? Five or six years ago? After five or six years, it has to affect him. Kaya palagay ko nagkakaganyan (Maybe that’s why he is behaving that way).”

Speaking of Duterte first, he, by all accounts of his Sunday night appearance, was back to his vintage populist, foul-mouthed form.

Duterte’s already boring trademarked on-stage bombastic inquisitorial style of burning at stake people whom he suspected of either being involved or using illegal drugs was in full thunderous display before cheering, adoring fans.

In days past, Duterte’s bombast could truly be devastating, often sending those he publicly shamed cowering in fear.

But on Sunday night, Duterte’s bombast definitely lacked something substantial — the aura of the presidency and its vast powers.

Watching a potentate with diminished actual powers flailing his arms in the chilly night air presented a forlorn image that couldn’t be ignored.

Still, it didn’t at all mean Duterte’s insults weren’t any less stinging to the present Malacañang occupant. Duterte still needed responding to.

At first, President Marcos’s repartee, or his attempt to quickly turn the insult back to the insulter, sounded tame compared to his predecessor’s folksy bombast.

But the suave, subtle sarcasm with which he returned the insults was as devastating.

The chief executive premised the former leader’s alleged use of the highly addictive painkiller fentanyl for concluding his predecessor as ailing that the frothing ravings merited understanding rather than condemnation.

In the aftermath of the two’s theatrics, we are now left with deciding and judging who between the two had the better insulting style.

As a matter of course, rabid rightist die-hards of both Marcos and Duterte fandoms will insist their man bested the other.

But we, the amused, should be able to fairly say where the score stands so far in round one. On my part, I hazard the score is about even, with Marcos’ suave sarcasm giving him a slight edge.