MANILA - Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III on Wednesday said PDP-Laban is open to the idea of term-sharing among those eyeing the speakership of the House of Representatives.

Pimentel, president of the ruling party, said the party became open to the term-sharing agreement because the issue “has been dragging for a considerable period of time.”

Party stalwart President Rodrigo Duterte last week said Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano had agreed to serve as Speaker for 15 months and be succeeded by Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco for 21 months, but that the latter backed out at "the last minute."

Velasco, PDP-Laban's bet, denied there was such an agreement, while Cayetano of the Nacionalista Party accused him of lying about the matter.

Pimentel said PDP-Laban is now open to a term-sharing agreement as long as Velasco gets to serve first “since he already has an overwhelming number of members of Congress supporting him.”

Cayetano had said he was supposed to serve as Speaker first before Velasco because as a former senator, he had a better working relationship with the upper chamber of Congress, which is needed to push for the President's legislative agenda.

Cayetano, Duterte's losing running mate in 2016, left the Senate to serve as Duterte's foreign affairs secretary. He then resigned from the cabinet last year for his bid for a House seat.

Duterte’s son, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, has also expressed his intent to join the speakership race.

This prompted regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), led by his sister Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, to endorse Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab for Speaker.

Hugpong also suggested that Cayetano take the Majority Leader position, Velasco the Appropriations Committee chairmanship, and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, another Speaker aspirant, the Accounts Committee chairmanship.

• Davao Rep Ungab accepts Hugpong endorsement for speaker