Biggest lotto jackpot also lures President

The tantalizing prospect of winning the P885-million jackpot in the 6/58 Ultra Lotto has proven to be irresistible even to President Duterte.

Amid rumors of his ill health, the President was disclosed to have placed bets for the record-high lotto jackpot last week and planned to bet again for Friday’s draw.

His special assistant, Christopher “Bong” Go, confirmed that the President asked him last week to place bets for 18 combinations for the coveted jackpot, which then stood at P849.5 million. Nobody won, so the pot was expected to reach P885 million in the Oct. 5 draw.

18 combinations

“During the last time last week, he asked me to place bets on 18 combinations. But he did not win,” Go said.

He added: “Later he will probably ask me to place new bets.”

President Duterte will again try his luck this Friday. The draw will be the 97th time since the winning combination in the Ultra Lotto was hit on Feb. 16, when two winners shared the jackpot prize of P332 million.

So far, the biggest lotto jackpot in Philippine history was P741.1 million for the 6/55 Grand Lotto on Nov. 29, 2010. The winner bought a ticket in Olongapo City.

The Ultra Lotto game was introduced with introductory jackpot prize of P50 million in February 2015.

Go said the President was a regular lotto bettor, noting that he had been betting in the lottery even when he was Davao City mayor.

He had won before, when he was still mayor, Go said.

“We’ve been placing bets in the lotto for five years. Before, he would ask me to place bets in Davao,” the official said.

Go said the President had no plans yet what to do if he won.

“He doesn’t say what he will do with the money. But he always says, we might be lucky,” Go said.

Duterte is not the only one in the family betting on lotto.

Daughter also bets

Last week, it was his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who disclosed that she placed a bet in the 6/58 Ultra Lotto game.

Sara jested that she would share part of her winnings to shoulder the legal expenses of her father’s critic, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.

Like the President, Go and presidential spokesperson Harry Roque are also lured by the huge lotto prize.

“When I heard that the President has placed bets, I also asked my colleagues to also place a bet for me,” Roque said.

If he wins, Go plans to donate half of his prize to his Malasakit Center, which handles the medical needs of poor patients.