By Joel M. Sy Egco

Local folk and rock music icons Freddie Aguilar and Mike Hanopol are suing Bayanihan Music Publishing Inc. (Bami) for unpaid royalties since 1998.

The two, along with co-complainant Charo Unite, a composer, were assisted by their counsel Rod Domingo in filing 192 counts of estafa against Bami at the Quezon City Prosecutor?s Office on Tuesday afternoon before First Assistant Prosecutor Meynard Bautista Jr.

They claimed that their former publicist owed them at least P15 million in royalties, P13 million of which was for Aguilar, whose ?Anak? became an international hit, translated into 26 languages.

?People thought I earned so much from my song. The truth is, I did not. It was Bami that profited from it. This thing happens not only to me but to a lot of local artists,? he told Standard Today.

?Actually, my royalties could reach a hundred million. The problem is that I can only afford to pay [P120,000] filing fee,? said Aguilar.

Charged were Bami executives Steven Tan, Antonio Ocampo, Perfecto Tan, Constancia Paz and Regna Balajadia.

Domingo said each count of estafa represented ?every quarter of the past years? that Bami refused to pay his clients? royalties.

Aguilar filed 100 counts of swindling (estafa) amounting to over P13 million with Hanopol?s 36 counts covering P1.6 million held in trust for the Juan dela Cruz band composer who whipped up ?Laki sa Layaw? among other chartbusters.

Unite filed 56 counts of the same charges against Bami to collect close to half a million pesos.

Also a commercial jingle maker, she composed ?May Bukas Pa? and other songs popularized by Rico Puno.