Extending the deal for another three years, the Guam International Airport Authority got the green light from senators during legislative session today.

Lawmakers passed Bill 130 allowing the airport to continue to work with the $154 million master concessionaire contract between the agency and Lotte Duty Free.

The bill got a total of 10 votes.

Speaker Therese Terlaje and her colleagues Sens. Chris Barnett and Joanne Brown were the only ones to vote against it.

Sens. Amanda Shelton and Sabina Perez were excused.

Speaker Therese Terlaje spoke on the proposed measure.

"Cautious I guess. I think when we are putting ourselves right dab in a procurement, every word that we say might have an impact on that litigation," she said. 

Sens. Joe San Agustin, Jesse Lujan, Chris Duenas, and Dwayne San Nicolas voted for its passage. 

San Agustin: Given the damage and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, typhoon mawar and other geopolitical issues and hardship that have arisen over the past several years, it is projected to several years for the territory, visitors industry, and ab won pat international to achieve financial stability... 0037 the legislature finds that the current Guam International Airport concessions are in the best interest of the territory.

Lujan: We got whacked by Typhoon Mawar. We are aware of the catastrophic damage. The airport was not spared. All that water was gushing from the second floor all the way down and to date alot equipment are still inoperable. 

Duenas: In any other circumstance of course we would always want to ensure that competitive bids are issued but we now have had for certain two and half years almost no movement in the airport, and just as we were starting to recover, a massive typhoon.

San Nicolas: We should be more proactive when it comes to supporting our businesses…who pays for all of this? Businesses and taxpayers. If we don’t support them, we are shooting ourselves in the foot and not supporting ourselves. 

Lotte had called the extension critical. Longtime master concessionaire Duty Free Shoppers sued the airport when it awarded the contract to Lotte 10 years ago. The case still caught up before the courts.

It’s also in part why Terlaje voted no.

"I know that some may attack me but I have nothing personal," she said. "I am doing my job to be very critical. When the legislature wants to put itself in the middle of litigation and dictate the terms of procurement."