MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Twitter giveth, Twitter taketh away, and the feeling entitled bunch of Pinoy news and social media personalities are mourning the loss of their blue badge.

For the longest time, Karen Davila, Richard Heydarian, Jover Laurio and others have enjoyed the show-off blue checkmark that symbolizes account verification on Twitter — for free. Now that Elon Musk is charging US $8 per month for the privilege, they are up in arms.

Either they can’t afford the equivalent of four hundred pesos or are unwilling to part with their easy-earned money.

So, what gives?

PAGUDPUD, Ilocos Norte, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Pagudpud Bureau) – We all know journalists are always the first to learn of and report the news, right? Wrong!

Case in Point: News and Talk Show anchor Karen Davila has complained that her verified Twitter account — with the blue check — has disappeared from her profile. It doesn’t matter that international artist Lea Salonga responded that she, too, has had the same experience.

Davila went on to ask what happens to her blue check mark. “Will I have to pay for it,” she asked.

Well way back last year, when Elon Musk acquired Twitter, one his first announcements that account holders will have to pay $8 per month for the privilege of having the blue check mark on their Twitter profile.

It’s April 2023. Is Davila that so behind on news? One would then wonder how timely are her own news reports.

VIGAN, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Vigan Bureau) – The other day, The Adobo Chronicles reported on Senator Grace Poe’s proposed bill to modernize taxi and pedi cabs.

Today, the Tricycle Operators and Drivers of the Philippines (TOAD) presented their counter proposal to Poe, chairperson of the Senate Public Services Committee.

Instead of yellow, TOAD wants all modern trikes to be painted white for more elegance. It also unveiled the prototype of the modern tricycle that its members want to ply the subdivisions, especially those developed and operated by Senator Cynthia Villar’s Camella Homes and Vista Land: