MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) –The Philippines is known worldwide for its beauty queens.  But it is also known for other queenly titles like “Queen of Intrigue.”

This week, the Philippines crowned a new “Queen of Intrigue” in the person of retired singer-comedienne Cynthia Patag, a known fanatic of the Aquino and Liberal Party administration.  She has been a staunch critic of the Duterte administration, using her social media account to spread untruths and biased opinions about those who disagreed with her yellow-blinded opinions. (Yellow is a color associated with Aquino and his Liberal Party.)

Recently, Patag posted on her Facebook account that Filipino musician Manual “Noli” Asencio III was abducted, drugged and killed, attributing the lie to a certain Ana Segovia who relayed it in a private message to Lydia Paredes, wife of former Apo Hiking Society (a singing group) member and Aquino supporter Jim Paredes.

In a twist of fate, the private message reached Patag who immediately posted the lie on her Facebook account.

Well, the daughter of Asencio, singer-songwriter Nicole, categorically denied the rumor spread by Patag. She said she was appalled by online rumors that depict her recently departed father as a victim of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

Patag, meanwhile, has been unusually quiet after Asencio’s statement. But that didn’t prevent Patag from being proclaimed the country’s newest Queen of Intrigue.

Is there another title for “Liar Queen?” That would seem appropriate as well, wouldn’t it?

SILICON VALLEY, California (The Adobo Chronicles, San Francisco Bureau) – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have all made it easier for netizens to express what’s on their mind through emojis or emoticons — those little, expressive people faces that tell their online friends whether they are happy, sad, excited, surprised. Or pissed.

Today, a new emoticon made its debut on social media.  It’s called the Duterte emoticon.

The emoji is an unmistakable graphic representing controversial Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

It is an emoticon that netizens can use when they want to express anger or frustration.  It’s an emoji that tells your friends, “Son of a b*tch” or “Son of a whore.” Without being censored!

Oh, how the Internet has made it much easier for everyone to communicate!