The Philippine government on Tuesday expressed relief and support for the Australian Federal Police (AFP) findings that the father-and-son duo behind the Bondi Beach shooting were “lone actors” who did not receive terrorist training during their recent stay in Mindanao.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año confirmed that the Australian report aligns with the Philippine government’s internal probe, which found no evidence that the suspects established links with local extremist groups or visited suspected training camps.
“The findings officially clear the Philippines of any involvement in the radicalization or training of these individuals,” Año said.
“Our intelligence indicates their visit to Davao was not for the purpose of meeting with terror cells, but was likely a personal trip.”
The investigation followed the December 14 mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, which left 15 people dead.
Public concern spiked after it was revealed that the suspects, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed, had spent nearly the entire month of November in Davao City just before the attack.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett clarified on Tuesday that the suspects appear to have radicalized themselves online.
She noted that surveillance footage from their stay in the Philippines showed the men rarely left their hotel, contradicting initial theories that they had sought “military-style” instruction from ISIS-affiliated groups in the region.
The Philippine Bureau of Immigration and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had faced intense scrutiny over the suspects’ movements.
Press Officer Claire Castro stated that the swift resolution of the investigation demonstrates the “vigilance and transparency” of Philippine security protocols.
While the “lone wolf” theory has been confirmed, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) noted that security cooperation between Manila and Canberra remains high.
Both nations have pledged to share digital intelligence to better track online radicalization moving forward.
Sajid Akram was killed by Australian police at the scene of the shooting, while Naveed Akram remains in custody facing multiple counts of murder and terrorism.