The list of lotto winners from July 2023 to January 30, 2024, has been submitted by the Philippine Charity Swiftstakes Office (PCSO) to the Senate panel on Thursday, Feb. 1.
It can be recalled from last week's senate hearing when Senator Raffy Tulfo requested the PCSO to submit the lotto winners' names and tax records following the controversial edited picture of a lotto winner and the frequent winnings of the game.
The documents were sent in a brown envelope by PCSO General Manager Mel Robles and Chief of Staff Lyssa Grace Pagano.
In addition to the list of lottery winners, the PCSO filed what it referred to as an "alpha list," or a record of the taxes that jackpot winners paid between July 1, 2023, and December 20, 2023.
Tulfo gave the PCSO the assurance that the records would be handled with confidentiality and used only for the Senate panel's evaluation.
In a DZRH interview last July 26, Robles stressed that the lotto is a "game of chance" and that they cannot manipulate the game.
“Bago pa sila nagduda, chineck ko na personally. Kaya ngayon, kapag may nanalo, nasa flashdrive lahat ng taya. At hawak ng PCSO in a separate system, isasaksak po yun para mabasa habang din-draw yung bola real time,” he said.
“There is no way na makaka-insert ng kahit anong data kasi sinasabayan ang paglabas ng bola, key-in na yun based on the flashdrive,” he added.
The PCSO chief also invited Senators to visit its office to observe and review the procedure for Lotto draws, noting that it would accommodate them and bolster the public’s interest.
