MANILA, Philippines -- Don?t believe the rumors.

This was the message of the Nationalist People?s Coalition on Sunday, amid speculation that its prospective vice presidential bet, Senator Loren Legarda, was ditching the party and teaming up with Nacionalista Party standard bearer, Senator Manuel Villar.

?Loren is not leaving NPC. She is going to be our candidate for vice president. All reports that Senator Loren will be running with a non-NPC presidential candidate are unfounded and speculative,? said Valenzuela City Rep. Rexlon T. Gatchalian.

The reports have been fueled by Legarda?s own admission that she was being courted by several presidential aspirants and by her own silence on who her runningmate would be when she declared her bid last Friday.

But the NPC spokesperson said he believed that other parties were spreading these rumors to undermine the presidential bid of Senator Francis Escudero, the party?s prospective standard bearer.

Escudero, who became eligible to run for president only a few weeks ago when he turned 40, has ranked relatively high in both surveys for president and vice president. He is expected to declare his presidential bid this week.

Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco was adamant: ?Nothing has changed with NPC. Our candidates are Chiz and Loren.?

A source said Escudero was set to meet with NPC chair Eduardo ?Danding? Cojuangco Jr. on Sunday night at the latter?s New Manila residence and party headquarters to iron out the details of the party?s campaign strategy.

The meeting is taking place in the midst of loose talk that Cojuangco was being wooed to support his nephew, the survey-leading presidential bet Senator Benigno ?Noynoy? Aquino III of the Liberal Party.