Judge takes fizz out of game plan

Judge takes fizz out of game plan

MANILA (Reuter): A judge ordered 7,444 Filipinos suing a soft drinks company for damages over a promotional game to pay 45 million pesos ($1.6 million) in court fees before hearing the cases. The group is seeking nine billion pesos ($333 million).

In 1992, the company offered up to one million pesos ($37,000) to holders of bottle tops marked with winning numbers. The company announced 349 as the winning number but withdrew the announcement, saying it was a computer error. Half a million Filipinos claimed they had won.

Claimants must now pay 6,000 pesos ($222) in service fees per million claimed before their case is heard.