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One-half of Lotto’s P347-M jackpot prize still unclaimed

By Charlie V. Manalo

04/24/2009

Yesterday, April 23, marked the second month after the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) drew the biggest jackpot prize in nine-year history of local lotto drawing the winning six-number combination which paid a record P347-million prize.

The Super Lotto 49 draw which picked the winning combination 26-20-33-12-6-34, produced two winners, one a working mother from Caloocan City who placed her bet in a lotto outlet in Malibay, Pasay City and claimed one half of the prize, P173,918,452.10 a day after the draw.

However, to date, the lucky bettor who bought his ticket at Pasig lotto outlet has yet to claim the other half.

Don de Leon, chief of staff of PCSO chairman Sergio Valencia, admitted that while they are still hopeful the lucky lotto 49 bettor will still show up to claim the remaining half of the jackpot prize, their optimism is guarded as “the long hibernation on the part of the lucky bettor is very unusual.”

With the very “unusual development,” Conrado Zabella, assistant general manager for on-line lottery, appealed to lotto aficionados who made the bets in Pasig City to double check their tickets.

“We at PCSO are also puzzled, hence, we are announcing during our lotto draws that people who bought tickets at the Pasig outlet to take another look at their tickets,” Zabella said.

Nonetheless, De Leon and Zabella warned the lucky ticket holder to keep the winning stub in a safe place as there is a strong possibility that the numbers might fade and might be dishonored.

For his part, Dr. Larry Cedro, PCSO spokesman, said the case of the missing lotto winner has now chalked another record in lotto history for the longest unclaimed jackpot prize now running at 61 days.

“This is the longest in terms of period to claim. Nevertheless, all I can say is that we are still waiting and eager to meet the winner,” Cedro said.

Cedro added that last year, it took the lone winner of the P249 million jackpot for Lotto 49 only two weeks to show up and claim his prize.

Cedro said the 2008 winner, a construction worker from Novaliches, Quezon City, visited the lottery office at least three times before finally deciding to present the winning ticket.

Under the PCSO lotto rules, the winning ticket holder has one year to claim his share of the prize.

De Leon said the allotted jackpot prize will go to charity if unclaimed within a one-year period.

“If the prize is left unclaimed after one year, the money would have to be reverted to funds for charity. In that case, it could be used to benefit more needy people,” De Leon said.