MAR. 18, 2008
A headline in a newspaper ....Bulacan lotto winner kidnapped.
A 30-year-old illiterate in Norzagaray, Bulacan was kidnapped and illegally detained along with his family days after he won half of the P79 million lottery jackpot.
This was learned after relatives of Erwin Namia, a rice mill worker, sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate and arrest those people who kidnapped him, his wife Virgie and two sons on Barangay Partida in Norzagaray on Sept. 29.
Namia and his family were kidnapped and detained by their neighbors after winning P39.5 million, half of the jackpot prize of the Sept. 13, 6/42 lotto winning numbers 03-04-05-07-35-37.
Four of the nine suspects were identified as Danilo Joaquin, Nestor Joaquin and Mary Ann Aldaba, all neighbors of the victims, and a certain Leopoldo Sta. Maria, a lawyer.
Francisco Hernandez, 70, Namia’s grandfather-in-law, told investigators that prior to the kidnapping, a group of men approached Namia when they learned that the victim, a known “no read, no write” man in the community, won the lotto jackpot.
He added Namia received his prize from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office with the “help” of the suspects.
“Few days later, we learned that Erwin, my granddaughter (Virgie) and their two children were kidnapped by the same group of people. Until now they remain missing,” said Hernandez.
Other witnesses also said the victims were forcibly taken by a group of men.
Hernandez said when they confronted one of the suspects during a meeting with barangay officials, the suspect admitted they received small amount of money from Erwin as balato or “for the boys
Lesson of the day..
lotto winners if possible no one should know that you have won the lotto jackpot.
