He will be paying an P80 debt to his best friend a million times over.
A 72-year-old retiree from Cainta, Rizal, came forward on Tuesday and claimed the P132,004,796.40 jackpot of the Grand Lotto 6/55 draw last April 20.
The sole winner told Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II that he would be sharing his winnings with his family of six children—and with his best friend.
He explained the reason, in Filipino: “Every Saturday, my friends and I go jogging. But that day, I forgot my wallet, so I borrowed P80 from my friend to be able to place that lotto bet.”
He said he began betting in the national lottery in 1995, but started concentrating on the Grand Lotto game because of the bigger prizes. He added that even if he only got five of six digits, he would still get a P150,000 consolation prize. But in last Saturday’s draw, he hit six numbers: 07-27-48-53-11-31.
He said he was planning to also use his winnings to renovate his house and build a row of apartment units.