After one of the draw machines failed to capture one of the winning balls, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) confirmed on Thursday, Feb. 29, that it activated the contingency protocol.

PCSO General Manager Mel Robles explained that their technical team promptly responded and addressed the issue by utilizing the standby machine.

This action was taken following the approved procedures outlined in the ISO 9001-2015 protocol.

“It’s not the first time that this happens and we want to assure the public that we are prepared for this kind of unexpected incident with our established ISO-approved protocols,” Robles said.

In a 2 p.m. lotto draw on Feb. 27, one of the 3D Lotto machines failed to capture a single ball, resulting in the delivery of only two sets of numbers "9-7."

However, after implementing its contingency protocol, the winning number was eventually completed as 0-9-7.

The 3-Digit draw offers a top prize of P4,500 for each winning ticket.

Moreover, Robles emphasized that the PCSO had previously experienced a glitch in one of its draws in 2008, and similar incidents have also occurred, even in the United States, where lottery machines malfunctioned.

“For this thing to happen is very remote. But we are prepared and we assure the public that our commitment to a transparent, fair and authentic lottery games will never waver, and is as strong as ever,” Robles said.

In the past 25 years, this was the second time that a minor glitch had occurred at PCSO while conducting an official draw.