Malacanang said on Thursday that there is no law prohibiting President Rodrigo Duterte to run for vice president after his term ends in 2022.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement following a a pre-election survey showing that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and the President emerged as the top choice for president and vice president, respectively, by voters from Visayas and Mindanao in the 2022 national elections.

The survey was conducted by political consultancy firm PUBLiCUS Asia Inc. (PAI) from November 15 to 19 among 2,000 registered voters from Visayas and Mindanao.

"The President is not prohibited from running as vice president," Panelo said in a press briefing.

If Duterte would run for vice president after his term as president ends in 2022, he would be the first one to do so.

Prior to running for president, Duterte had served as vice mayor of his daughter Duterte-Carpio after serving as mayor for several terms.

Panelo said he would not be surprised if Duterte would be the running mate of his daughter in the presidential polls.

"I'm not surprised. That has been done before in the City of Davao when both of them ran as mayor and vice mayor," he said.

Asked if the President was aware of the survey of the Duterte-Duterte tandem in the next elections, Panelo, also chief presidential legal counsel, said, "I told him last night and he smiled."

But he added, "if circumstances require him to run, he might...he might."

Panelo's statement, however, was apparently contrary to Duterte's previous statements that he was tired and if he had his way, he wanted to finish his term.

The spokesman, however, later said when further pressed about Duterte possibly seeking the vice presidency in 2022, "Election is very far from his mind. Running for any office is far-fetched at this time. He’s focused on his constitutional duty to serve and to protect the people, until the day of his term he will do it with passion, with dedication and no force on earth or organizations or persons can stop or impede him from doing such tasks assigned to him by the Constitution." Celerina Monte/DMS