Lotto bettor owes win to late father

The lotto combination he “inherited” from his father turned him into a multimillionaire more than a decade later. A 61-year-old truck driver became P12.3 million richer after hitting the jackpot in the October 19 Megalotto 6/45 draw.

The father of six from Batangas province claimed his winnings at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office headquarters in Pasay City on Monday. The bettor’s father, who died 12 years ago, deserved to be thanked for the win, according to PCSO General Manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II, as he handed over the check to the lucky bettor.

Rojas said the winner had been betting on his late father’s numbers—1-17-22-27-2-33—since his passing in 2000. The numbers were based on the birth dates of his family members. “The winner together with his late father had been avidly placing lotto bets from 1995 to 2000,” the PCSO official said in a text message.—Niña Calleja