Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Authorities have found that the father-and-son suspects in the fatal Bondi Beach shooting in Australia did not leave Davao City during their 28-day stay in the Philippines, National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año said on Friday.Citing initial results of an ongoing investigation, Año said the suspects slept in the same hotel every night and maintained a limited daily routine, emphasizing that the two had not undergone terrorist training while in the country.The gunmen also did not receive visitors.“All the 28 days they stayed in Davao, every night, they slept in the same hotel. There is no way they had undergone any training in Maguindanao, in Mindanao or wherever. Nobody came to the hotel to visit them,” Año told reporters in a chance interview at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.“We are not a terrorist hotspot,” he added. “It’s unfortunate what happened in Bondi Beach. Galing dito ang mag-ama, but it doesn’t mean we are a hotspot.”Año explained that the suspects’ activities consisted mainly of jogging, usually in the morning.“Every morning, nagcoconduct sila ng jogging—lalabas sila, babalik din after two or three hours. Ang pinakamatagal ay eight hours. Still, that time window is not suffice for them to get out of Davao. Doon lang talaga sila,” he stressed.He went on “Maybe they are using the internet, maybe they are talking to somebody else, but as to other physical activities, wala naman… We’re still trying to get CCTV footages.”Security checks also showed no indication that the two visited firing ranges in the city.“There are seven shooting ranges in Davao. Our operatives also talked to all of them. Hindi nag-appear ang dalawa,” Año said.Australian media named the shooters as Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram.The father-and-son team toting long-barreled guns on Monday shot and killed 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl, at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.According to Año, Naveed had already been red-flagged by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) in 2019, but was later cleared.“Yung dalawang kasama ni Naveed ang nakulong,” the official said. “For now, we can say, probably, nagbonding ang mag-ama dito. Probably, the son is intercalating the father kasi mas naunang narecruit si Naveed,” Año said.Sajid traveled on an Indian passport, and Naveed on an Australian passport.The NSA said Philippine authorities have collated intelligence reports from the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). They are also closely coordinating with Australian officials.Moreover, authorities are talking to hotel staff and “people outside but within the vicinity” of the establishment as part of the probe.While the reason why the suspects chose to stay in Davao City is yet to be determined, Año said speculation that the Philippines is a terrorist training hotspot is unfounded.“That’s still a question to be answered. Probably, siguro alam nila na ang Davao is a very progressive city, a safe city. We can just speculate bakit Davao ang napili nila. There are possibilities,” he said.He then continued, “But one thing is sure: They did not undergo any training here. They did not meet any local terrorist group member based in Muslim Mindanao.”

Authorities have found that the father-and-son suspects in the fatal Bondi Beach shooting in Australia did not leave Davao City during their 28-day stay in the Philippines, National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año said on Friday.

Authorities have found that the father-and-son suspects in the fatal Bondi Beach shooting in Australia did not leave Davao City during their 28-day stay in the Philippines, National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año said on Friday.

Bondi Beach gunmen did not leave Davao City, had no visitors, Año says

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Bondi Beach gunmen did not leave Davao City, had no visitors, Año says

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 19, 2025 11:37 PM PHT

Read More:

Bondi Beach

Sydney

Australia

terrorist training

shooting

Davao

Mindanao

Eduardo Año

National Security Adviser

ABSnews

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