A private detective will investigate the winner of the P698.8 million E-Lotto jackpot prize amid reports that the winner was a “ka-tropa” or friend of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Senator Raffy Tulfo said.
Tulfo, during the Senate ways and means subcommittee hearing he presided over, said he received reports that the winner allegedly “invested P30 million to win.”
The senator then called for an executive session with PCSO General Manager Mel Robles.
“During the executive session, I need to know who won. Because we have received reports that the one who won is a friend (ka-tropa) who invested P30 million to win the P690 million jackpot,” Tulfo said.
Robles insisted that the Lotto winner was real even as he admitted that the PCSO edited the photo of another winner of the Lotto 6/42 jackpot of P43.8 million who claimed the prize on Dec. 28, 2023.
“If there’s something we apologize for, it’s the poor editing, but it serves the purpose of concealing the identity. We’re sorry… we’re not very good at editing the clothes. It’s a real person,” Robles said.
The photo went viral online after social media users noted that it was digitally altered.
