Malacañang has issued a scathing rebuttal to international media reports labeling the Philippines an “ISIS training hotspot,” following revelations that the gunmen behind the deadly Bondi Beach attack in Sydney had recently spent nearly a month in the country.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “strongly rejects” the sweeping characterization of the nation as a breeding ground for international terrorism.
The government’s defense comes amid growing scrutiny over a 27-day trip the two shooters took to Mindanao just weeks before opening fire on a crowd in Australia.
The National Security Council (NSC) released a simultaneous statement denouncing the allegations as baseless.
While the Bureau of Immigration confirmed the shooters arrived in Davao on November 1 and departed on November 28, security officials insist their visit was not linked to any militant activity.
“Currently, there is no validated report or confirmation that the individuals involved in the Bondi Beach incident received any form of training in the Philippines,” the NSC stated. “No evidence has been presented to support claims that the country was used for terrorist training.”
The Palace highlighted that since the liberation of Marawi in 2017, the capabilities of ISIS-affiliated groups in the Philippines have been “significantly degraded.”
Citing assessments from the United Nations and the United States, the NSC argued that extremist elements in the region are now fragmented and lack the infrastructure to host international training camps.
Officials suggested that historical clan feuds in Mindanao are often misinterpreted by foreign observers as organized international terrorism.
Malacañang warned that “misleading” foreign reporting could inflict lasting damage on the country’s global image and investment climate.
Castro urged international news outlets to be more responsible, noting that the suspects’ radicalization—while linked to “Islamic State ideology” according to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese—has not been traced back to any specific Philippine cell.
Despite the rejection of the “terrorist training ground” label, President Marcos has ordered the Anti-Terrorism Council and the Bureau of Immigration to remain vigilant.
Authorities are continuing to coordinate with Australian investigators to determine exactly what the two men were doing during their month-long stay in Davao before they returned to Sydney to carry out the December 14 attack.