By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Just like Rod Stewart’s song “Some Guys Have All the Luck,” the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has taken exception.

Contrary to the expose’ by way of a Senate privilege speech of Senator Raffy Tulfo claiming that a lone bettor won 20 times in just one month, the PCSO on Wednesday (13 March 2024) clarified that the 20 lotto wins allegedly made by a single person were not scooped from its multimillion-peso jackpot games.

“What Sen. Tulfo failed to notice was that the same list would also show that for jackpot-bearing games like Lotto 6/42, Mega Lotto 6/45, Super Lotto 6/49, Grand Lotto 6/55, and Ultra 6/58, there was no winner who won more than once,” the PCSO asserted in a statement.

The PCSO claimed that the 20 lotto wins Tulfo was referring to were won from PCSO’s minor games.

It stressed that the person Tulfo cited was not necessarily the winner.

“The real issue here therefore is the claimant, and not the number of times that he supposedly won as what Sen. Tulfo seemed to have assumed,” the PCSO pointed out.

“For Digit Games such as 2D, 3D, 4D, and 6D, PCSO lotto outlet agents or representatives of the winners can collect the winnings on their behalf. Since they are just minor prizes, a winner can ask someone he trusts to claim the prize for him through the so-called ‘paki-claim,'” the PCSO explained.

It claimed winners turn to the “paki-claim” scheme due to their lack of valid IDs and the distance of PCSO offices from their homes.

“[S]ome winners would not want to go to their branch office because of added expenses, so the lotto agents would act as Good Samaritans and do it for them,” the PCSO maintained.

(el Amigo/MNM)