By Tara Yap
ILOILO CITY — A Norwegian company has withdrawn its proposal to build an AI data center in Iloilo province, two days after its executive walked out of a public consultation and hurled expletives at reporters.
Daniel Stefan Robertsen informed the local government of Oton that his company, Norway Green Energy, would no longer pursue the ₱50‑megawatt (MW) hyperscale AI data center project due to “current circumstances.”
Vice Mayor Jose Neil Olivares posted on his Facebook account on Monday, August 17, the formal notice of withdrawal sent by Robertsen on Sunday evening, August 16.
While Robertsen did not specify the reasons for the withdrawal, his behavior during the August 14 consultation — where he lashed out at residents and cursed reporters — drew widespread criticism and was seen as disrespectful to Filipinos.
The proposed site in Barangay Abilay Sur, an agricultural area, also raised questions, as officials noted there were no pending applications for land conversion.
Meanwhile, Olivares himself has faced scrutiny online for his vocal stance before and after Robertsen’s public outburst.
