Father who exploited his son: Swindler falls to NBI agents

After fooling people with his tale of poverty, deception, treachery, and fatherly love, Joselito Taroja, Jr. will now have to tell his story in court after he was arrested yesterday by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation in barangay Bagalnga, Compostela.

Taroja was the father, who exploited his six-year-old son by inventing sad tales to get cash donations from well-meaning people.

The NBI together with a representative from the Department of Social Welfare and Development also rescued the boy from his father when they made the arrest.

The team led by agent Jedidah Hife went to Bagalnga, Compostela yesterday afternoon to rescue the boy and to arrest the father for exploiting his son. After negotiating the eight-kilometer uphill road from the national highway, the team saw the boy playing with the other children in the neighborhood with only a shirt on.

The father and the boy caught the attention of the media when the elder Taroja brought his son to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center because of alleged tetanus infection. He claimed that the boy's mother drove a four-inch nail into his son's head.

What further touched the hearts of many people was the tale of deception and abuse told by Taroja and how he was forced to carry his won to the hospital after he was refused a ride on the bus since he did not have money for fare.

Now that she has the chance to speak, Evelyn Caputi, 28, mother of the boy, denied maltreating her son. Caputi said that inventing stories to get public sympathy has always been the modus operandi of her erstwhile live in partner.

Caputi recalled that she was even used by Taroja before to solicit financial assistance.

According to Caputi, she left Taroja in the year 2000 and eloped with another man, because she could not anymore stomach what he has been doing. Caputi said she would have wanted to bring the boy with her, but Taroja refused it.

Caputi said that it is not true that she drove a nail into her son's head. She added that the physical disability of the boy's lower limbs was not also because of maltreatment but rather because of polio. But, Taroja insisted on his claim that Caputi nailed his son's head.

At first Taroja refused to admit that he only used his son for swindling, but he later wavered and admitted what he did and was sorry for it.

"Pasaylo-a lang ko ninyo sir," (Please forgive me, sir) Taroja told The Freeman.

Caputi said that she would want to get her son from Taroja now, but a DSWD official said they will conduct an assessment first whether she is capable of taking care of her son.

Vilma Cosido of the DSWD crisis intervention division said that they have already coordinated with the DSWD office in Danao City to check on the background of the mother. DSWD learned that Caputi now have two more children with her new live-in partner in Danao City.

Cosido said that the boy will be temporarily placed under the custody of DSWD until they are done with the assessment.

The NBI is now preparing charges for violation of R.A. 7610, otherwise known as child abuse and falsification of public documents for using an alias when he filed a complaint before the NBI against his wife.

Taroja earlier filed a complaint against Caputi for allegedly maltreating their son. The NBI however later found out that Taroja was just inventing story when he escaped from the hospital together with his son, who was supposed to be treated for tetanus.

Taroja used an alias of Roy Pareja Sr. when he brought his son to the hospital asking for financial assistance from the public. The heart of well-meaning people easily melted upon hearing his story that his wife left to go with another man and maltreated their son.

But, when hospital personnel started to doubt his story, Taroja left in a hurry and carted away an undetermined amount of financial assistance and several bags of groceries.

Taroja said that the guard in the hospital slept on his post, which made his escape easy.