?HE?S A LIAR!? SCREAMED songwriter and former musician Nonoy Tan, his voice rising to a crescendo Wednesday night at the office of the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Inc. (Filscap) in Quezon City. Tan refuted all allegations made by Heber Bartolome, a Filscap member and former officer.

?He started this, we?ll finish it!? declared Tan, chair of the board of trustees. He was referring to the complaint that Bartolome filed with the National Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday, in which the latter claimed anomalies in Filscap?s financial dealings, particularly disbursements totaling P8.5 million.

Filscap is a nonstock, nonprofit agency that collects royalties for its members whose songs are used on TV, radio, in the movies, concert halls, hotels, clubs, restaurants, KTV bars, malls, retail stores and other establishments.

Facts have been twisted, Tan said, adding that the agency had suspended Bartolome last month for ?double-assigning songs (to another royalty collector) without Filscap?s knowledge.?

The facts, according to Tan:

1987: Bartolome signs up as Filscap member, authorizing it to be his music publishing agent.

2004: Galaxy Records releases an album produced by Papadom of Tropical Depression, which contains a cover of Bartolome?s ?Ayoko Na Kay Sta. Claus.?

2007: Bartolome signs another music publishing deal, this one with EMI, receiving P2 million in advance royalties for all his songs.

2008: Bartolome asks Filscap to run after Galaxy for not getting permission to use one of his songs. Filscap sues Galaxy for P500,000.

2009: Galaxy files a P5-M countersuit, alleging that it had paid EMI P20,000 for the rights to Bartolome?s song, and that Bartolome has received the money.

Filscap, apparently unaware of the double deal, called a board meeting late last year. Tan recalled, ?I told Heber that Filscap stood to lose P5 million because of him.?

Tan said Bartolome claimed he couldn?t remember details of the contract he signed with EMI.

Voting unanimously last Jan. 26, Filscap suspended Bartolome for one year. That was when he began acting up, Tan said.

Bartolome reportedly gathered several composers in his house shortly after, on the pretext of setting up a songwriters? guild. ?Those present signed an attendance sheet, which Heber attached to a manifesto that became the basis for the NBI complaint,? said Tan.

Tan pointed out that Bartolome was present during meetings where the board of trustees discussed the ?questionable disbursements of P8.5 million? to former Filscap licensing manager Jane Suarez.

Suarez had allegedly been collecting royalty payments from Filscap in behalf of Suarez Music Publishing, which controls the rights to a number of songs, including ?Usahay.? Problem was, Tan said, another person claimed his father was the real composer, so that all royalty payments to ?Usahay? had been placed on hold.

Filscap also filed a case against Suarez Music Publishing and, at press time, Tan was sure, ?We will sue Heber.?