MANILA, Philippines ? Even as it scrambles to find direction following the departure of its prospective presidential candidate, Senator Francis Escudero, the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) boasted Wednesday that it could provide the "swing vote" to whoever it would support in the May 2010 election, a party supporter said.

Camarines Sur Representative Luis Villafuerte, former president of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) and now helping in the NPC's political mapping, said the party was now in the "process of consensus-building on what new directions to take" after Escudero left.

If solid in its support, "the NPC can provide the swing vote to victory to whoever it would support" next year, Villafuerte said in a phone interview.

At least 20 to 30 percent of the vote for the country's next President could come from the NPC, he added.

He said pocket meetings among members were ongoing to determine their preference for president and vice president.

In the House of Representatives, Villafuerte estimates that at least 40 congressmen are with NPC, including the originals and what he calls as "new adherents" and those who will join the party because they will run in the elections.

Without a presidential candidate, the NPC is left with Senator Loren Legarda as its vice presidential candidate.

Villafuerte said the party's decision on which it would support for president could result in alliance or coalition with another political party.

Talks have been going around of a possible alliance between NPC and Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) for the team up of Legarda with the administration party's standard-bearer, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.

Villafuerte, however, acknowledged that several NPC members remained committed to supporting Escudero and might go for him all the way should he pursue his presidential ambition.

Escudero had said so far that even without a party, he would seek the presidency.

Isabela Representative Giorgidi Aggabao, an NPC member, also raised the possibility that party members could go for their preferred presidential candidate and then regroup anew after the election.