THE ROYAL Norwegian Embassy in Manila hosted a three-day official visit delegation for the Norwegian National Police Directorate, headed by Deputy Commissioner Lars Erik Alfheim, to further strengthen the police cooperation between Norway and the Philippines.
During the visit, Deputy Commissioner Alfheim, together with H.E. Ambassador Christian Halaas Lyster, and Nordic Liaison Officer Per Nicolai Langås, paid a courtesy call to Chief General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. of the Philippine National Police (PNP) at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
“We have seen the professional work they (PNP) do – especially on fighting online sexual abuse of children. We continue to work with PNP – both nations help each other in combatting these deeply disturbing crimes,” said Alfheim.
The meeting focused on the continuous mutual law enforcement cooperation and future international partnerships between the Politiet (Norwegian Police) and the PNP. The meetings also touched on topics on public safety and Norway’s continued support to the Philippines, through the Nordic Liaison Office, in its efforts to combat Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC), as well as topics on cybercrime and other forms of criminality.
“The Philippines is a hotspot for online sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Norway, through the Nordic Police Liaison Office, works closely with Philippine law enforcement agencies to combat OSAEC,” H.E. Ambassador Christian Halaas Lyster said.
“Strengthening international police cooperation is crucial, but not enough. We must all work together to create awareness of this challenging problem and prevent victims from being abused and keep our children safe,” he added.
The meeting discussed the ongoing process of finalizing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Norwegian Police and the Philippine National Police. The MoU aims to further enhance bilateral cooperation and strengthen collaborative efforts in information sharing between Norway and the Philippines and reinforce the collaborative efforts in information sharing between the two countries.
This will strengthen preventive mechanisms to investigate OSAEC cases through information exchange. As the threat of OSAEC has expanded in terms of quantity and severity, the Norwegian police have spent considerable resources investigating perpetrators who order live-streamed abuses, videos, and images from the Philippines and assisted Philippine law enforcement authorities in apprehending local facilitators.
“The Philippine National Police sincerely appreciates the continued cooperation of the Norwegian Police, through the Royal Norwegian Embassy, in advancing our collective fight against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children,” said Nartatez.
The members of the Norwegian Police Service also met with Barbara Mae Pagdilao-Flores, Executive Director of the National Coordination Center Against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM), and Department of Justice Assistant Secretary Michelle Anne S. Lapuz, to discuss the Philippines’ legal framework and whole-of-nation approach in combating Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC).
The NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM serves as the national secretariat responsible for implementing the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children Act and the Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) Act in the Philippines.
Ambassador Lyster and Deputy Commissioner Alfheim also met with the command group and the cadets of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) last April 11, 2026, led by its Director, Police Major General Andre P. Dizon, at Camp General Mariano N. Castaneda in Silang, Cavite.
The delegation was concluded with a dinner with the cadets, wherein a leadership talk from Deputy Police Commissioner Alfheim on the importance of public trust and evolving curriculum to cope with today’s technology as part of the training of future police officers in Norway. This was then followed by an inspirational message from Ambassador Lyster on ethical leadership and trust as cornerstones of effective governance and international cooperation.
