Press Release - Tulfo to probe legitimacy of lotto jackpot winners

Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo is set to investigate the legitimacy of all lotto jackpot winners during the continuation of the Senate hearing of the Committee on Ways and Means involving the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on January 25, Thursday.

It can recalled that PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles admitted in a Senate inquiry last week that the viral photo of a recent ?43-million lotto jackpot winner was poorly edited. He claimed that it was edited to conceal the identity of the winner which raised doubts and suspicions from the public.

Tulfo also wants to study the possibility of banning PCSO from adding jackpot money from their prize fund reserve for their lottery games.

Notably, in the same hearing, Robles also admitted that last December, in example, the PCSO increased the jackpot money of all lotto games. PCSO added 100 million each in 6/42 and 6/45 while half a billion each in 6/49, 6/55 and 6/58 from their prize fund reserve.

The Senator from Isabela and Davao said this means that the total amount transferred from the prize fund reserve to jackpot money for said lottery games reached ?1.7 billion.

"Dito makikita na gumagawa ang PCSO ng kahina-hinalang sistema na kalaunan ay maaring ika-bankrupt ng lotto dahil ang ?1.7 billion ay savings na sana ito ng PCSO na pwede nang gamitin para sa mga charity project nila," he said.

"Ang bilyong halaga na ito na winaldas ng PCSO ay kaya na sanang magpagamot ng libo-libong mga pasyente at naipambili na rin sana ng daan-daang ambulansya, wheelchairs, medisina etc," he added.

Tulfo further stated: "Nakakalungkot na ang ?1.7 billion na ito ay napunta lamang sa iilang tao. Kuwestiyonable pa ang mga taong nanalo sa jackpot na ito tulad ng hinala ng mga netizen."

Sa nakaraang hearing ng Senate Committee on Ways and Means noong January 18, 2024, inamin mismo ni PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles na gawain na ng PCSO ang magdagdag ng daan-daang milyon sa jackpot prize sa bawat game ng lotto na manggagaling sa prize fund reserve upang maengganyo raw ang mga mananaya.

Inamin din ni Robles na nitong nakaraang Disyembre halimbawa ay dinagdagan ng PCSO ang jackpot money ng lahat ng lotto games. Tig-100 million