Cagayan de Oro City — A distressed mother offered to sell her five-year-old son for P5,000 to cover her fare to Manila in search of employment.

Police Major Mike Aban, head of Police Station 8 in Barangay Lumbia, reported on Sunday that authorities responded to a tip from a concerned citizen who had seen an online post where the mother advertised her five-year-old son and two other children for sale.

The mother had specifically offered the five-year-old for P5,000, with the other two children also being put up for sale.

A combined team from the police and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was dispatched and managed to locate the mother and her children.

Initial assessments by a psychiatrist revealed that the mother is suffering from Postpartum Depression, a medical condition that can occur after childbirth.

Aban noted that the mother’s husband and other family members were contacted.

It was discovered that this was the second time the mother had attempted to sell her children online.

The children were placed in the care of their father and family members, while the mother will undergo further evaluation and potential rehabilitation to address her mental health condition. When asked about her motives, the mother explained that she needed the money to travel to Manila to find work.