Masinloc Mayor Arsenia Lim (left), President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. (MANILA BULLETIN)

MASINLOC, Zambales--Mayor Arnesia Lim of this town says it's time for President Marcos to pay her back. 

"Kaya po ngayon po, ako ay maniningiil para sa mga kababayan ko, na wag po niya pabayaan ang kababayan ko sa bayan ng Masinloc," Lim said tongue-in-cheek during a press conference here with Manila-based journalists Friday, May 24. 

(That's why now, I'm going to collect debt for the sale of my people, that hopefully he doesn't neglect them, my people of Masinloc.) 

Exactly when did the Chief Executive became indebted to Lim, you ask? The latter apparently supported Marcos during his 2022 presidential campaign wherein she served as one of the candidate's local leaders. 

"Alam nì Governor [Hermogenes] Ebdane, noong lumaban po ang ating Presidente, ako po sa second district ang nag-lead, nag-leader po sa kanya para kausapin niya ibang mayors, kumuha ng mga watchers," the lady mayor said. 

(Governor Hermogenes Ebdane knows this, when our President was campaigning ,I was the leader of the efforts in the second district so he may speak to the other mayors and get watchers.) 

Masinloc on Friday hosted several congressmen who held a joint committee probe on the supposed "gentleman’s agreement" between former president Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the West Philippine Sea. 

Fishermen from this town previously treated Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal as their stomping grounds, where a bountiful sea harvest is guaranteed; that is, up until over a decade ago when bigger vessels from China drove them away and blocked off the area. 

Some of these fishermen gave testimonies during the hearing. 

"Ito po ang katotohanan. Kung ano yung narinig niyo sa kanila ngayon, yun po ang kasalukuyang nangyayari ngayon," Lim said of the fishers' accounts. 

(This is the truth. Whatever you heard from them now, that's what's really happening.) 

"Sana po wag niyo po kami pabayaan at inaasahan ko po ang suporta ng national government, lalo ng ating mahal na Presidente, dahil ang inyong mayor, sasabihin ko po, hindi po niya pinabayaan si Presidente dito," she said in her appeal to Marcos. 

(I hope you won't neglect us, and I expect support from the national government, especially to our beloved President, because i'll tell you, yours truly never neglected the President’s campaign here.) 

Fishermen who still plan to sail out are fearful of China’s pronouncement that it will begin detaining foreigners who trespass in their supposed waters. 

Bajo de Masinloc has been a traditional fishing spot for Filipinos for centuries. 

"Namomroblema po ako ngayon. Mayroon nga kaming binigay na bangka, takot naman sila lumaot kasi baka makulong sila. Pag tag-ulan problema nananan natin kung paano sila tulungan," Lim said. 

(It's a big problem for me now. We gave them boats, but they're afraid to sail off because they might get arrested. When it's rainy season, it's also a problem where to get aid for them.)