Various political candidates have begun their campaigns, adding twists and embracing online trends to get the attention of Filipinos. As the election period nears, several promotional materials, including campaign jingles, are out on the streets of every barangay.
However, one local band called out the unauthorized use of one of their hit tracks for a campaign jingle.
On Sunday evening, Lola Amour said in a Facebook post that numerous candidates are sampling their songs for campaign jingles.
“Madami na naman daw gumagamit ng mga kanta namin para sa mga campaign jingles. Please note that all of those are used WITHOUT our consent,” the band wrote.
“What if I told you that it’s stolen?” they added, referencing another hit song, “Fallen.”
The conversation began after a fan posted on X (formerly Twitter) and aired her sentiments on getting sick of the hit song, “Raining in Manila” because of the campaign jingle she keeps on hearing.
The band replied to the post, stating, “Btw guys, this happened before and I guess it’s happening again: All of the campaign jingles using our songs do not have our consent. Vote wisely.”
“Raining in Manila” was released in 2024, and quickly made its way to various stations and social media platforms. However, it wasn’t just a local hit, as the GOT7 member, Bambam, jammed to the song during Day 2 of Waterbomb Manila 2025.
The Intellectual Property Rights and Election Campaigns
Campaign jingles have been around for a long time, leaving last-song syndrome for every local that hears it daily. However, last year, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reminded candidates and political parties that they cannot use any song, including those that are trending and widely popular, without the artist’s or composer’s consent.
This aligns with Resolution No. 11086, which cautions on the production of campaign jingles, slogans and merchandise that may violate intellectual property (IP) rights. The Comelec suggested getting approval or secure appropriate permits from the rightful owners before proceeding with their campaigns.
This not only ensures that intellectual property rights are respected in their election propaganda, but also abides by the rules of the IP laws.
In January this year, the Comelec signed an agreement with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to curb the unauthorized use of songs for campaign jingles.
