P.M. BRIEFING : Westinghouse Challenges Court

Westinghouse Electric Corp. argued today that a federal judge has no jurisdiction to hear a lawsuit claiming that it paid millions of dollars to ousted former President Ferdinand E. Marcos and a golfing crony to get a contract to build the Philippines’ first nuclear plant.

Westinghouse said the $2.2-billion dispute is an ordinary business disagreement that, according to its contract with the Philippines, should be heard by an international arbitrator. But the government of President Corazon Aquino says that the contract and its arbitration provisions were obtained by fraud and bribery and are thus invalid.

U.S. District Judge Dickinson Debevoise, who heard oral arguments today, reserved decision but said he would rule as soon as possible.