Vehnee Saturno cries foul after being snubbed at Dylan Menor’s song revival launch

The legendary songwriter demands answers from the team after being left out of the launch.

Dylan Menor has revived the classic OPM ballad “Sa Aking Puso,” but the launch of his new version has drawn criticism from the man who actually composed the song—veteran hitmaker Vehnee Saturno.

Saturno publicly questioned why Ariel Rivera, who originally performed and popularized “Sa Aking Puso” in 1991, was apparently thanked during the launch while he, as the song’s composer, was seemingly left unacknowledged.

“Si Ariel Rivera ang pinasalamatan? Ba’t ganon? I’m the composer of the song! Paki linaw po VibePh Tv5 and Universal Music. Parang mali!” Saturno wrote on Facebook.

The songwriter said he was able to watch Menor’s launch on YouTube and also saw an interview featuring a video clip of Rivera congratulating the young singer.

According to Saturno, however, the interview could no longer be found afterward.

“Napanood namin kanina sa YouTube ang launching, pero ngayon, burado na ang interview kay Dylan Menor with Ariel Rivera video clip. Congratulating Dylan,” he wrote.

Saturno ended his post with the pointed remark: “Nakakatawa kayo!!!!”

One netizen told Saturno that he was credited as the composer and urged him to check again. The songwriter disputed this, replying: “Wala. Napanood namin.”

“Sa Aking Puso” is one of Saturno’s enduring compositions. Originally recorded and popularized by Rivera in 1991, the romantic ballad has remained an OPM favorite and has been covered by several singers over the years, including Dingdong Avanzado and Jessa Zaragoza.

While Rivera has been closely associated with the original hit for decades, Saturno’s complaint highlights an important distinction in music: the singer may become the face and voice of a hit, but the songwriter remains its creator.

For Saturno, that distinction apparently deserved recognition as “Sa Aking Puso” was introduced to another generation through Menor’s revival.

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