Two lotto bettors are some P19 million richer after they won the jackpot in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s Lotto 6/42 draw Thursday night. In a post on its website, the PCSO said the two got the winning combination of 22-13-05-19-25-10 to win the jackpot worth P39,462,944. Also on Thursday, a lone winner bagged the P16-million jackpot in the Superlotto 6/49 draw after getting the combination of 40-20-26-15-45-36. The PCSO did not identify any of the night’s winners. Last Tuesday, a lone lotto bettor became P90.996 million richer after hitting the jackpot in the PCSO Superlotto 6/49 draw. The PCSO said the bettor got the winning combination of 20-05-45-35-26-21 to win the night’s jackpot worth P90,996,106.40. Last April 30, two lucky bettors shared P95,932,278 after getting the combination to the Superlotto 6/49 draw jackpot. But the biggest Lotto prize won is still the November 2010 draw, when a lone bettor won some P741.176 million for getting the winning combination 11-16-42-47-31-37. — DVM, GMA News
Congress on Wednesday ratified proposed amendments to the country’s law on youth offenders without lowering the minimum age of criminal liability, which the existing legislation pegs at 15 years old. The ratified committee report on House Bill 6052 and Senate Bill 3324 proposed that children aged 12 to 15 who commit heinous crimes or repeatedly violate the law undergo community-based intervention programs in a residential facility. The House version of the bill originally proposed the lowering of the minimum age of criminal liability to 12 years old, but the Senate version prevailed. The amendments to Republic Act 9344 also provides the maximum penalty for those who exploit children for the commission of criminal offenses. The ratified bills also transfer the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council from the Department of Justice to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The council is the primary body in charge of implementing the country’s legislation on children in conflict with the law. — DVM, GMA News
Two lucky bettors will be about P47.96 million richer each after bagging the jackpot in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s Superlotto 6/49 draw Tuesday night. In a post on its website, the PCSO said the two got the combination of 06-10-16-24-09-05 to jointly win the jackpot worth P95,932,278. As in the past, the PCSO is not likely to name the winners for security reasons. Just last Monday, a lone winner won the Megalotto 6/45 draw, getting the combination of 34-37-17-09-14-21 to bag the night’s jackpot worth P45,049,768.20. Last April 20, a lone winner became P132 million richer after bagging the PCSO Grand Lotto draw jackpot. But the biggest lotto prize ever won is still the November 2010 draw, when a lone bettor won P741.176 million for getting the winning combination 11-16-42-47-31-37. — DVM, GMA News
Senator Loren Legarda on Wednesday belied rumors that she had filed a bill decreasing the salaries and benefits of government employees. In a speech delivered before the Senate on Wednesday, Legarda said rumors about her allegedly filing a bill reducing the leave credits and retirement benefits of public servants have been circulating through text messages and social media. “This information is totally false and fabricated, with no other purpose than to destroy my reputation as a champion for the rights of our dedicated government workers,” she said. “No legislator will introduce such a bill which would diminish the salaries and benefits of our personnel in government institutions that provide services critical to public safety and order,” she added. She countered that, rather than reduce benefits, she filed Senate Bill 2355 which seeks to increase the combat duty pay of Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel by 25 percent. Legarda, meanwhile, urged the “source of the malicious and baseless messages” to stop spreading falsehoods against her. “We should be cooperating and creating positive change not spreading lies that will distract us from our goals and that will result in unnecessary conflicts,” she said. She also noted it was suspicious that it happened just as the election was drawing nearer. Legarda does very well in the polls for Senate candidates. She came in second to fellow senator Francis Escudero in the last Pulse Asia survey. “Sinuman nag nagkakalat niyan harapin ninyo ako,” she challenged. The senator said she has an idea on Read More …