(philstar.com) | Updated October 9, 2017 - 1:25pm

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Monday said that the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino- Lakas ng Bayan party will no longer accept new members by the end of November.

Pimentel, also the president of PDP-Laban, said his party mulled closing doors to potential members after several others jumped ship from their respective parties. He, however, clarified that the recruitment drive will continue until the end of next month.

The PDP-Laban president said that their party needs sufficient time to prepare for the May 2019 national and local elections.

“After the massive influx of new members into the party for the past year, we now have significant presence in most of the provinces of the country,” Pimentel said in a release.

“We should now focus on teaching all the members the Party Ideology and Program of Government and deepening their understanding of these. After this, we can present a solid and united front come 2019,” he added.

New members might reap privileges without contributing to party

Pimentel described PDP-Laban as one of the few parties in the country that recruits members bound by the following ideology: "Belief in God; Human Dignity; Love of Country; Equal Opportunities for All; Consultative and Participatory Democracy; and Federalism."

He said he is worried that “latecomers” to the party may claim the privileges of the membership “without actually contributing anything to the development of PDP-Laban.

“PDP-Laban is a party for those who believe in its principles, whether it is in power or not. We are not a party of political convenience. By stopping recruitment, we will have time to indoctrinate and train our members, screen possible candidates, and absorb our new members into our grassroots infrastructure,” Pumentel said.

"It is the duty of every member of PDP-Laban to pursue the change that we have promised under President Duterte, foremost of which is the shift to the Federal System of Government,” he added.

Last Friday, Pimentel disclosed the names of the party's six potential senatorial candidates for the 2019 midterm polls. He said senatorial slate could include himself as well as House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas (Ilocos Norte), presidential adviser Francis Tolentino, Rep. Karlo Nograles (Davao City), Rep. Geraldine Roman (Bataan) and Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Negros Occidental).– Rosette Adel