PCSO admits minor glitch in 3-digit game draw; Senate sets probe

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Raffy Tulfo said on Thursday evening that the Senate will investigate the glitch in the  Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) three-digit game draw on February 27.

“We will conduct a hearing to investigate the glitch. The public needs to know whether or not this is really a glitch or is it another suspicious action by the PCSO. It is bad timing for PCSO because the result of the investigation of the E-Lotto system is not yet finished, and yet this happened again,” said Tulfo in English and Filipino.

In a separate statement issued Thursday, PCSO confirmed that a “minor glitch” occurred during its three-digit game draw on February 27 after one of its draw machines failed to capture one of the drawn balls.

“It’s not the first time that this happen[ed] and we want to assure the public that we are prepared for this kind of unexpected incident with our established ISO-approved protocols,” said PCSO General Manager Mel Robles.

Robles said a similar glitch transpired in one of PCSO’s games in 2008. He noted that it is not an isolated incident as such cases also happened in the United States when lottery machines malfunctioned.

“In the past 25 years, this was only the second time that a minor glitch had happened at PCSO while conducting an official draw,” said Robles.

“For this thing to happen is very remote. But we are prepared and we assure the public that our commitment to a transparent, fair and authentic lottery games will never waver, and is as strong as ever,” he added.