DFA welcomes Australia confirmation that Bondi suspects didn't train in Philippines

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January 6, 2026 | 11:39am

MANILA, Philippines — Australian authorities have found no evidence that the suspects in the December 14 Bondi Beach mass shooting incident received military-style training during their month-long stay in the Philippines.

This confirmation that the two gunmen had acted alone was shared by Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barret on December 30, and welcomed by the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, January 6.  

"There is no evidence to suggest they received training or underwent logistical preparation for their alleged attack" during their stay in the Philippines from November 1 to 29, 2025, Barrett said.

The evaluation by Australian authorities also aligns with the initial findings of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The latter shared mid-December that they found no indications that the father-and-son suspects received any training or prepared for the attack during their month-long stay in Davao City. 

Barrett also confirmed there is "no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell or were directed by others to carry out an attack," though she noted the assessment remains subject to continuing investigation.

The DFA on Tuesday welcomed Barrett's statements and remarks from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the Philippines' cooperation.

"Through him, the agencies in the Philippines have done everything they can to provide information in a timely way, and that's a good thing," Albanese said.

Cooperation to secure CCTV footage

Barrett also credited Philippine authorities' quick response for securing key evidence in the investigation.

"Without their swift response, much of the CCTV footage that is now under review by our investigators would not have been available," she said.

The shooters — Sajid Akram and son Naveed — had stayed at a hotel in downtown Davao City for nearly a month and hardly left their rooms, according to an earlier report by MindaNews. They arrived in the Philippines November 1 and left the country November 28.

Philippines rejects 'ISIS training hotspot' label

This confirmation by Australia comes after the Philippine government strongly rejected foreign media reports characterizing the country as an "ISIS training hotspot" following the Bondi Beach attack.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in mid-December that Marcos "strongly rejects the sweeping statement and the misleading characterization of the Philippines as the ISIS training hotspot."

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año also dismissed media reports portraying the southern Philippines as a hotspot for violent extremism as "outdated" and "misleading".

Following the attack, international media outlets published reports highlighting Mindanao's history of Islamist insurgency and suggesting the Philippines served as a training ground for foreign fighters.

Año had pointed out that there have been "no recorded terrorist training activities" by ISIS-affiliated groups in recent years in the Philippines.