Photo courtesy of PNP/FacebookPNP, Norwegian police deepen fight against OSAEC
The Philippine National Police entered into a cooperation agreement with the Norwegian Police Service to strengthen efforts against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
The agreement was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed on July 2 at Camp Crame in Quezon City by PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. and Lars Erik Alfheim of the Norwegian Police Service.
The PNP said the partnership would expand intelligence sharing, law enforcement coordination and joint action against offenders involved in child exploitation cases that cross borders.
Under the agreement, the two police organizations would work together on the detection, investigation and prosecution of persons linked to online sexual abuse and exploitation of children and other related crimes.
The pact also covered training, capacity building and operational coordination to help protect children’s rights under Philippine and international laws.
The signing followed earlier engagements in April, when a Norwegian Police Service delegation led by Alfheim, together with Norwegian Ambassador Christian Halaas Lyster, met with PNP officials and visited key units involved in cybercrime and child protection.
Among the offices visited were the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center, Women and Children Protection Center, Anti-Cybercrime Group and Philippine National Police Academy, where officials exchanged practices on handling online child exploitation cases.
Nartatez said the agreement would help authorities track offenders, exchange intelligence and pursue criminal networks operating beyond borders, as he directed concerned PNP units to maximize the partnership and work closely with their Norwegian counterparts to disrupt transnational child exploitation networks.
