MANILA - The endorsement of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio was the "tipping point" in the speakership race, eventual winner Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said Monday.

Duterte-Carpio, eldest daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, released a statement last week that her regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago, supports the honoring of the term-sharing deal between Velasco and erstwhile Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

• Sara Duterte's Hugpong ng Pagbabago backs House term-sharing pact

"I believe Mayor Sara really has a lot of influence not only in Congress but in a lot of areas also. With her party Hugpong ng Pagbabago joining or endorsing my speakership, definitely I believe it was a tipping point," Velasco told ANC's Headstart.

Velasco was supposed to assume the speakership this month under the deal as brokered by the President, but Cayetano had insisted on staying until December as he cited the passage of 2021 budget.

In the statement where she expressed that her party "will respect" the term-sharing pact, Duterte-Carpio said Velasco flew to Davao City to seek her help as chairperson of the regional party.

Duterte-Carpio was credited for orchestrating a House coup that removed Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez from the chamber’s helm in July 2018 and installed former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, then a representative from Pampanga.

Velasco said he has asked Duterte-Carpio to run for president "a million times" and that he would "definitely" support her if she would pursue this.