Loss of trust

Sen. Raffy Tulfo noticed something odd when the PCSO gave him the names of previous lottery winners. He noticed that in one month, one person won 20 times. Twenty times! "It's a little bit eyebrow-raising," said Tulfo in the vernacular. He is heading the investigation into the integrity of PCSO games, including the lotteries. He questioned why when the e-lotto started, the winners came one after the other. There will be an additional hearing in the Senate this coming March 18.

PCSO general manager Melquiades Robles immediately defended that the games in question were minor games and not major games like 6/42 to 6/58. The list will show no one won twice in the major games. Robles further explains that winners may be asking this one person to claim their prizes, for varied reasons. Well, this is what I have to say about that.

Lotto 2D and 3D prizes do not exceed ?10,000 so there is no need to go to the PCSO main office to claim those amounts. These can be claimed at any lotto outlet, and they need not give their names. So, if PCSO says it's only minor games, then only the 4D and 6D lotteries exceed ?10,000 in prizes. These must be claimed at the PCSO main office where winners will be required to give their names.

Both 4D and 6D games are drawn three times a week. So, in a month, there are 12 or 13 draws each for 4D and 6D. That makes a total of 24 or 26 draws altogether. If a name comes up 26 in a month, does it mean he did not hit the jackpot four or six times? And if you say that probably the same person was asked to claim the prizes all 20 winners know this single individual? Are they all from one barangay, one area? Your explanation seems hard to believe.

Lotto ticket sales have gone down considerably according to some outlets interviewed. Some outlets have closed altogether. This is due to several issues. First, the altered photo of a supposed winner. Second, the glitch during a 3D draw. Third, successive winners of the ?500 million lotto draw last December. And let's not forget the over 400 winners of the 6/55 lottery last October.

And now, this revelation by Sen. Tulfo. People are losing their trust in the way PCSO handles its lottery draws. For many, they were deprived of hope for a more comfortable life, deprived of their dreams. I know there are those who truly win lotteries. But not this often. In other countries, it takes months before someone wins. PCSO needs to do a lot of explaining to regain people's trust. Remember, some people rely on the PCSO for their medicines, treatments, dialysis, and more. If lottery sales drop drastically, even those in need will lose.