Filipino rapper Omar Manzano, popularly known as Omar Baliw, has filed a copyright infringement complaint against detained senatorial candidate Pastor Apollo Quiboloy over the unauthorized use of his song during a political rally last month.

Accompanied by his lawyer, the rapper said the charges stem from the use of the instrumental beat from his song “K&B”, which was altered with pro-Quiboloy lyrics without his permission.

“What urged us is because there was an unauthorized use and adaptation of the song “K&B” and that’s why we sent a demand letter to Quiboloy’s camp,” the rapper’s legal counsel told News5, adding that no response was received from the pastor’s side.

“We are ready to pursue this to the fullest extent of the law, and all the remedies available to our client is we will exhaust all of the legal remedies,” the lawyer added.

Omar also stressed the importance of protecting artists’ copyrights, noting that their creations are both their art and their livelihood.

The issue arose after Quiboloy’s camp held a separate proclamation rally on 13 February at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City, apart from the event organized by his fellow candidates under the Duterte senatorial slate.

In a Facebook post, Baliw criticized the use of his song’s melody with altered lyrics, calling out the unauthorized use.

“‘Hindi pa nga nakaupo, nagnakaw na agad. Wala kaming kinalaman dito. Pwede ba itong ipa-barangay?’” the rapper wrote in his post.

(He’s not even in office yet, and he’s already stealing. We have nothing to do with this. Can we report this to the barangay?)

The Filipino Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (FILSCAP) noted that playing copyrighted music at political events requires a license from the composer, in accordance with Section 177.6 of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.