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MANILA - The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan is keeping mum on its senatorial slate for the 2019 election pending the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte, a party official said Thursday.

"The Speaker (Pantaleon Alvarez) and I have decided to keep the list secret in the meantime and submit this for comments of the President this month or next month," Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, the party president, told ANC's Headstart.

Pimentel said the line-up is "more than complete" with more than 12 candidates.

He said PDP-Laban will require the candidates to "pledge that they will pursue the basic objectives of the party, particularly federalism."

"The mere fact that they are applying to be a candidate for senator means that they’re interested for the position so it’s up to them—if you’re interested, are you willing to devote the time, the energy and sacrifice for preparing to be a good senator, to be a good congressman, to be a good mayor," he said.

"They must be serious with their intention to become such an official, he added.

Pimentel said their party relaxed their criterion on competence, which is "very subjective."

"You can make up for lack of knowledge by studying, by reading up on the subject matter, by practicing debates...Hindi lang magaling mag-Ingles, sa tingin natin incompetent na. Hindi eh. You can communicate even when not speaking English. You can use Tagalog or your dialect," he said.

The party and its candidates "always have to run scared," especially as a resistance coalition is seen to be rising, he said.

"The political winds can change abruptly any second so we have to respect those who are our opponents, respect their capabilities, their capability to win," he said.

In November last year, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque were among the candidates the party was fielding.

Pimentel, however, said PDP-Laban has yet to decide on its official senatorial lineup.