Detained church leader and senatorial candidate Apollo Quiboloy is facing criticism from rapper Omar Baliw for allegedly using his song without permission during a campaign event.
Quiboloy, who is in custody at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facility in Pasig City on human trafficking and child abuse charges, is running for senator under Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP-Laban) in the 2025 elections.
During the party’s campaign launch on February 11 in Pasig City, dancers wearing Quiboloy-branded shirts performed to Omar Baliw’s song K&B with altered lyrics. The rapper, whose real name is Omar Manzano, took to Facebook to call out the unauthorized use of his music.
“Di pa nakaupo, nagnakaw na agad. Wala kameng kinalaman dito. Pwede ba to ipa-barangay? Hahaha. Awit,” he wrote.
His post quickly gained traction, sparking debate among supporters and critics of Quiboloy. Some accused Omar of being a paid detractor, to which he responded by reiterating that using a song without permission is unethical.
The Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (FILSCAP) also reminded the public that playing copyrighted music in election campaigns requires authorization from the copyright owner, as stated in the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.
Quiboloy’s camp has not yet addressed the issue.
