Police arrested a 39-year-old mother for allegedly locking up her three children inside their house in barangay Pit-os, Cebu City.
The mother (named withheld to protect the identities of her children) could be charged with child abuse, police said.
The children aged 2, 3 and 4, were rescued by operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.
The children’s grandmother sought the help of the police when her daughter prevented her from entering their house past 7 p.m. last Thursday.
The grandmother said she was alarmed when she saw her daughter carrying a bolo at the first floor of the house while preventing her to enter. The children were allegedly locked up on the third floor.
The grandmother said her daughter had a history of illegal drugs use.
Insp. Roy Manguilimotan, deputy chief of Talamban police station, said SWAT members negotiated with the mother to allow them to enter.
After 30 minutes of negotiation, police were able to enter the house through a door at the back of the house and rescued the children.
The other policemen subdued the mother and brought her to the police precinct.
The mother denied locking up her children. She said they were just sleeping on the third floor.
The mother said she prevented her mother from entering since they were not in good terms.
The mother has two other children from a previous relationship who were staying with their grandmother.
The three other kids were the woman’s children from a current relationship with a foreigner who is still abroad.