Top of the Week: Concerns raised by business to Cebu City mayor wannabes: among them,‘difficult to deal’ with City Hall on business permits.

Who among the candidates can make City Hall as efficient as the city’s business leaders -- and other transactors -- want the local government to be? ‘Efficiency’ may cover almost any function of the local government.

Raymond Alvin Garcia says that when he was councilor, he authored ordinance extending business licenses from one year to two years, pushes digital platforms for licensing and tax assessments.

Nestor Archival proposes a one-day permit release, provisional approval for renewals, and transparency in biddings, with a private-sector member in the BAC. Mike Rama bats for integrity and performance (“internal reforms particularly in human resources”) and digitalization. Yogi Filemon Ruiz suggests a systems-based approach, an e-governance system and a one-stop shop.

Betting on next Pope is ‘part of a larger culture of betting on everything.’ The pope’s election is a pastime that goes back 600 years. Tagle and Parolin are the favorites, just days before May 7 conclave.

Newsweek says Philippines’ Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has taken over as the new favorite in the betting.

The newsmagazine reported on May 2, 2025 the odds released Friday by British bookmaker William Hill had the former Manila archbishop ahead of Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Tagle at 9/4 (30.8%) and Parolin at 9/2 (28.6%).

A New York Post May 3 report, quoting OLBG or the Online Sports Betting Community, said Parolin, the Vatican cardinal secretary, is the 15-8 favorite, slightly better than 2-1 odds, to become the next pontiff.

About that order of suspension against Governor Garcia: It still hangs.

Guv Gwen “won’t step down,” still staying put, says Comelec approval needed as charges don’t relate to corruption, asks DILG to clarify process. In a series of social media posts, the governor questions, among others, legality of the Ombudsman action, speed and procedure in imposing the penalty, the timing, and takes pride in the public good resulting from the governor’s special permit to quarry Mananga River.

Ombudsman Martires demands public apology, tells Cebu governor to respond to charges against her by filing a counter-affidavit. The cases are, he says, (a) grave abuse of authority, gross misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross negligence, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, as well as (b) Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. “The preventive suspension issued in the administrative case,” Martires says, arose from, or is in relation to, the criminal case for violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019. And the complaints relate to corruption and thus fall under exception to the requirement of Comelec’s prior written approval.

President Marcos Jr. “won’t meddle “ and wants rule of law and due process. No response yet from DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla who has been asked by Guv Gwen to “clarify.”