Gibo ready to stop using Rico Blanco’s song in campaign jingle

Gilberto “Gibo" Teodoro Jr. is ready to stop using singer-composer Rico Blanco’s song in his political advertisement. In an interview with reporters on Tuesday, Teodoro urged all parties involved in the issue to meet with him and settle the dispute. If it can’t be straightened out, the administration party’s standard-bearer for the May presidential elections is ready to refrain from using Posible in his campaign jingle. “Hinihikayat ko si Mr. Blanco at lahat ng involved, mag-usap kami para may magandang kararatnan ito. Ginagalang ko siya. Iniidolo ko siya bilang artist. At kung hindi maaayos, iwi-withdraw ko ito (I am calling on Mr. Blanco and everybody involved, let’s talk so this could have a good outcome. I respect him. I idolize him as an artist. And if this can’t be settled, I will withdraw this)," said Teodoro. The ad's musical scorer, Dennis Garcia, claimed in a Facebook post that Blanco's former manager, Lizza Nakpil, had given permission to use the song and there was nothing illegal about it. Nakpil is now registered with the National Library as the copyright owner and publisher of the song. Garcia said he paid Nakpil a license fee to use the song. Blanco, through Warner Music Philippines Artist Management, said the use of Posible in Teodoro’s jingle did not have his consent. “This use of Posible is unauthorized. Rico Blanco is the composer and reserved all intellectual property right to it. He has not licensed the use of the composition to any political ad campaign," the statement by Blanco's representatives read. Blanco also requested Teodoro’s camp to "cease and desist from any further broadcast of Posible... to avoid any legal action."

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV According to Warner Music, Blanco "at this time has not endorsed any political candidate whether for President or any other elective position, and is not affiliated with any political party." Blanco's services as a composer or performer have also not been retained by any national political campaign, according to Warner Music. Garcia posted copies of Posible's registration with the National Library under Nakpil's name and of the licensing agreement between him and Circe Communications Inc., the company that supposedly has the rights to the song. The copy of the agreement was signed by Garcia and Circe representative Lizza Nakpil, the former manager of Rivermaya, Blanco's band when “Posible" was recorded. Lawyer Rafael Khan, Warner Music’s legal counsel, however, said Blanco had not assigned to any entity his rights as the composer of the song. “According to Rico, as a matter of practice, he does not assign the copyright of a song he writes to anyone else. We’re pretty sure that he still has the full rights as the composer of the song," Khan said in a phone interview with GMANews.TV on Saturday. - ARCS/GMANews.TV