Saturday, January 20, 2007 Real ‘Wonder Boy’ shows up
THE “wonder boy” arrested for large-scale illegal recruitment did not turn out to be such a wonder after all.
The real “wonder boy” surfaced yesterday after disturbed relatives and friends bombarded their house with phone calls to verify if it was true that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 7 had arrested him.
Audinico “Cocoboy” Dagaraga, 23, went to the CIDG 7 to clear his name.
Dagaraga was hailed as “Cocoboy the wonder boy of Tisa” when he was 12 years old after it was discovered that he had healing powers.
He has kept a low profile since then, although some people continue to go to their house asking to be healed.
This was why they were surprised to hear from news reports that the “wonder boy” was arrested for large-scale recruitment.
At home
“Many people called asking where he was. I told them he was right here at home, taking a nap,” said his aunt Helen Pacaña Tomista in Cebuano.
CIDG 7 operatives arrested Roland Waskin, 27, in an entrapment last Thursday in Mabolo, Cebu City.
As of yesterday, 30 complainants showed up at the CIDG 7 to file charges against him.
As if this was not enough, an operative from the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division arrived at the CIDG 7 to serve a warrant of arrest issued by a Mandaue City court against Waskin.
Regional Trial Court Judge Augustine Vestil recommended no bail for Waskin in his case for violating the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 or Republic Act 8042.
Waskin, for his part, said he never claimed he was the “wonder boy” of Tisa. He said he hails from Asturias town.
“Cocoy is my nickname and I also happen to be a healer,” he said in Cebuano.
“Sila raman ang nagsulti ana (They were the ones who said I was the “wonder boy”),” he said.
Faith healer
Dagaraga’s talents were discovered after his late mother talked to another faith healer from Danao City and said that she kept dreaming about her son.
The healer told her that was because Dagaraga had healing powers.
At first, the family kept the revelation to themselves.
However, Tomista said they decided to “experiment” to see if their son really had the gift.
When she felt pain in her right arm, she let Dagaraga examine it.
“He touched it. I felt something warm and then the sensation disappeared and so did the pain,” Tomista said in Cebuano.
Family affair
After that, they continued to keep Dagaraga’s powers within the family and among close friends and neighbors. But word got around and people from all over Cebu starting to go Tisa to let Dagaraga heal them.
Though Dagaraga has kept a low profile, even initially refusing to have his picture taken, he continues to help those who come to their house asking for treatment.
“I don’t accept money. But if they insist, I save the money which I also give back during Christmas time,” Dagaraga said in Cebuano.
This is why the family was so worried to hear about Waskin’s arrest. They did not want the public to think they were taking advantage of Dagaraga’s healing powers. (MEA)
