Man buys lotto ticket for dead maid, wins P25 M

MANILA, Philippines - A former seaman who bought a lotto ticket to fulfill his dying helper’s wish won P25 million, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) said yesterday.

The 57-year-old ex-seaman from Malabon claimed his share of the P50.8 million jackpot of the 6/42 lotto’s April 2 draw, PCSO general manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II said. The other half was won by a player from Makati.

The ex-seaman said that on March 23, his maid experienced severe chest pains and asked him to bring her to the hospital. On the way to the hospital, the helper handed him P20 and asked him to buy her a lotto ticket, he said. She passed away the next day.

Since his helper’s family is in the province, he shouldered her hospital bills and the cost of sending her remains to her family.

He said he picked the winning combination – 23-24-01-05-08-37 – based on the information on his maid’s death certificate. The ex-seaman said his maid was admitted to the hospital on March 23, died at 1:58 a.m. on March 24, was 37 years old when she died.

The winner said he plans to share the prize with his late helper’s family to fund her siblings’ education.