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Senate panel debates using $104 million in ARPA funds for Manila utilities; court fight over GURA complicates vote
Summary
Lawmakers spent hours probing whether $104 million in ARPA money obligated for Manila infrastructure can be spent without federal clawback, amid a court ruling limiting GURA's eminent‑domain powers and the attorney general's refusal to review procurement packages. Senators split over urgency versus legal risk.
Senators spent most of a day questioning agency officials and lawyers about Bill 15‑S, which would authorize installation of utilities infrastructure on Lot 5280‑3 in Manila using about $104 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The bill centers on whether the money was properly “obligated” to the Manila project before the Treasury’s 2024 deadline and whether the Legislature can move forward while a separate court case and the Attorney General’s refusal to review procurement materials remain unresolved. Senator Parkinson framed the choice starkly: “This is a yes, a $104,000,000 or no, $0.”
Why it matters: Treasury rules require written justification for capital projects of $10 million or more and tightly restrict reprogramming after the obligation deadline. Panel lawyers told senators the Treasury received a written justification when the project was first conceived and that interagency agreements were used to obligate funds before 12/31/2024. But senators pressed for the actual Treasury…
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