Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Melquiades Robles has assured that the agency will comply with the Supreme Court's order to release the over P12-million Lotto 6/42 jackpot prize to the bettor who has a damaged winning ticket.
On Oct. 25, Robles welcomed lottery winner Antonio Mendoza to his office, where he gave him the assurance that the money would be given to him after the documentary and other processes are completed.
This comes after the SC issued a 17-page ruling ordering the PCSO to release Mendoza's winnings, which amount to P12,391,600.
"I assured him (Mendoza) that I will expedite the process of his claim," Robles said in a Facebook post on Thursday, Oct. 26.
"Kailangan lang may (We only need) certificate of finality from SC. I will make sure that he enjoys the fruits of his winnings ASAP (as soon as possible). I wanted to put a closure on this issue," he added.
The SC decision stated that “even in the absence of a readable ticket, he (Mendoza) was able to prove that he selected a set of numbers that corresponds to the winning combination number for the 6/42 Lotto draw on Oct. 2, 2014.”
“Thus, he is entitled to receive the jackpot prize for the said Lotto draw,” it added.
Moreover, the PCSO will pay six percent interest per annum from the date of the finality of its decision until fully paid.
On Oct. 2, 2014, Mendoza registered three bets for the Lotto 6/42 draw through "lucky pick" at a Lotto outlet in Batangas.
The following morning, on Oct. 3, Mendoza discovered that one of the "lucky pick" combinations had won, but his granddaughter had crumpled his winning ticket.
In an attempt to flatten the crumpled ticket, his daughter ironed it underneath a cloth, which unfortunately caused the ticket to be partially burned.
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