Dasmariñas City Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. wants the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to pay lotto jackpot winner Antonio Mendoza the P12.3 million prize after he passed a polygraph test.
In an interview on radio dzBB, he said Mendoza sought Congress’ intervention after the PCSO refused to release the jackpot prize because his winning ticket was inadvertently defaced by a flat iron.
In a committee report, Barzaga, chairman of the House committee on games and amusement, said PCSO officials could face graft charges if they continued to withhold the P12.3 million.
When it was presented, the defaced ticket allegedly could not be “read” and validated by the lotto machine of the PCSO.
On Oct. 2 last year, Mendoza supposedly picked the winning combination of 09-21-31-36-40-41 of the 6/42 lotto for P12.391.60 million.
Unfortunately, a grandchild had crumpled the ticket and another grandchild tried to save it by ironing the creases, he said.
The PCSO has a strict policy of “no ticket, no payment” to prevent spurious claims.
But Barzaga, who said he was personally drafting the committee report to be submitted to the plenary for debate, said the investigation conducted by his panel showed Mendoza’s claim was authentic and that he was the “rightful winner.”
During the panel probe, Barzaga said it was agreed that the PCSO, just like the Commission on Audit, would admit circumstantial and secondary evidence.
He said no one else has come forward to claim the jackpot with the PCSO certifying that the outlet–where Mendoza placed his bet—had sold the winning ticket.
“It is the committee’s recommendation that the PCSO pay Mendoza the P12.3 million jackpot. The PCSO has to take heed or the public will lose trust and confidence in the agency,” Barzaga said.
Should the PCSO continue to hold on to the money, Barzaga said, the panel will recommend that graft charges be filed.
“The PCSO should take heed. Otherwise, they will be accused of pocketing the money by refusing to release the P12.3 million,” he said.
“I am personally drafting the committee report and I can ably defend it before the plenary.”
Barzaga said the panel asked the National Bureau of Investigation to subject Mendoza, his wife and child to authenticate their claim.
“We asked the NBI to conduct a probe. The NBI’s findings were positive. Based on these circumstances, it is but fair for the PCSO to pay Mendoza,” he said.
