City: No closure order for businesses before April 20

CEBU, Philippines - No business establishments will be closed before April 20, so said Claire Cabalda of Cebu City’s Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO).

In a hearing yesterday, Cabalda said the application of 2017 business permits is until April 20, thus no closure order will be issued until then.

With that, the SM Prime Holdings, Inc., Shopping Center Management Corporation, and SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc., through lawyer Chrysilla Carissa Bautista, moved to withdraw their application for a temporary restraining order (TRO) as well as the P2-million bond they had earlier posted.

SM earlier filed a civil case for mandamus and prohibition with application of TRO against respondents’ City of Cebu, Mayor Tomas Osmeña, City Treasurer Tessie Camarillo and Engineer Josefa Ylanan to ask the court to direct the city to grant its application of business permits for 2017.

The firm claimed that the city did not act on its application despite complying with the basic requirements.

Regional Trial Court Branch 9 Judge Alexander Acosta ruled that since the parties have agreed that there will be no closure order before or on April 20 and petitioners are allowed to submit the lacking requirements, the application for TRO is mooted.

Acosta likewise ordered for the release of P2-million bond posted by the petitioners after the court had granted a 72-hour TRO.

SM feared that if its application for a business permit will not be granted, the city may issue a closure order.

Cabalda, in yesterday’s hearing for the application of TRO, said their office cannot recommend for the approval for the issuance of business permits because petitioners failed to comply with the requirements like barangay clearance with official receipt, real property tax clearance, and among others.

Bautista, for their part, said that in their previous application, they submitted what was issued by the South Road Properties Management in lieu of the barangay clearance.

Cabalda, however, said the barangay clearance is one of the requirements for the application of business permits.

She claimed no knowledge of petitioners’ statements that instead of submitting barangay clearance, they submit what the SRP Management issued since she only assumed office on July 2016.

Meanwhile, Acosta directed the city government to submit its reply to the civil case filed by petitioners 30 days from yesterday.

He set the next hearing on May 2.  (FREEMAN)