No legal impediment to Duterte’s VP run – Palace

President Rodrigo Duterte. Screengrab from RTVM video

MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte has no legal hurdles to a vice-presidential run in 2022, Malacañang said on Friday.

Citing Article 7 of the Constitution, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the President is only not eligible for re-election.

“President Duterte is not running for the same office and the same position,” he said in a statement.

The Supreme Court may hear challenges to President Duterte’s vice presidential bid, but this is premature since the chief executive has not yet filed his certificate of candidacy, Roque said.

The filing of certificates of candidacy is set to start on October 8.

Roque issued the statement after legal luminaries Christian Monsod and Rene Saguisag said Duterte might encounter legal obstacles if he chooses to run for the vice presidency in 2022.

One of the 1987 Constitution framers, Monsod said Duterte would use the vice presidency as a “backdoor” for another presidential term.

Meanwhile, Saguisag, a former senator and a longtime human rights lawyer, said Mr. Duterte’s possible run for vice president was “a patent circumvention.”

READ: Legal arguments raised vs Duterte’s fancied VP run

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal agrees with the Palace that Duterte can run for vice president but said it would be “politically wrong” as it would appear to be a “sign of weakness” for the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

Duterte earlier said he is “sold to the idea” of running and is “seriously thinking” of running for the vice presidency but is being held back by the idea of having a President whom he is not “friends” with, which could render him “inutile.”

READ: Duterte says new President must be friend of his for him to function well as VP