President Rodrigo Duterte's possible candidacy for vice president in a bid to avoid cases, courts, and jail " is perhaps opportunity to provoke jurisprudence" or a legal system, his spokesman said on Monday.

Duterte, a lawyer, said on Saturday that with his critics threatening him "with lawsuits and everything", he would run for vice president to get immunity.

Lawyer and former Supreme Court Public Information Office chief Theodore "Ted" Te, in a tweet, said the vice president is "not immune from suit by law or by tradition."

• Duterte told: Vice President is not immune from suit

In July 2019, Duterte's justice minister, Sec. Menardo Guevarra, said, "The Constitution does not grant the vice president immunity from suit" after sedition charges were filed against Vice President Leni Robredo in connection with viral videos linking Duterte to the narcotics trade.

Asked how Duterte arrives at his conclusion of legal immunity, his spokesman Harry Roque, who is also a lawyer, said, "Let’s just say this is perhaps opportunity to provoke jurisprudence."

Political vendettas are common in the Philippines and former leaders, minus their immunity of office, have been prosecuted and even jailed after changes in power.

• Duterte's real intention behind possible VP bid is to become successor-president: solon

Duterte is facing possible investigation by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity and killings under his war on drugs.

– With a report from Reuters