‘Bonding’ in Davao? Philippines probes Bondi shooters’ monthlong stay

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., speaking before a hall full of top military generals, said claims that the country was a “training hotspot for terrorism” were unacceptable, even as investigators piece together what the Bondi Beach shooters did during their monthlong stay in Davao City. 

“We also reject in the strongest terms the recent misleading claims that portray our country as a training hotspot for terrorism,” Marcos said at the 90th anniversary celebration of the Philippine military on Friday, December 19. 

For decades, the Philippine military’s focus had been turned toward internal security, serving as frontliners against everything from insurgencies to terror threats. 

It’s only been in the past three years, under Marcos, that the military has made a more explicit shift to focus on external defense. 

“For years, we have acted decisively to dismantle terrorist networks, to secure communities, and to sustain our hard-earned peace. To dismiss these gains with unfounded speculation is not acceptable,” the President added. 

Investigators and security officials in the Philippines continue to figure out the exact activities of 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his son, 24-year-old Naveed, who attacked a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on December 14. Weeks before the shooting, the two were in the Philippines for a month in Davao City, a major hub in the island of Mindanao. 

Why Davao? 

MindaNews, a Mindanao-based news site, earlier reported that the two were billeted in a cheap hotel in the city and mostly kept to themselves. 

Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the military’s anniversary, said they had validated the claims of the hotel staff. 

“All the 28 days that they stayed in Davao, every night they slept in the same hotel,” Año told reporters. 

While the father and son did leave their hotel rooms, it was never for that long, Año noted. They would jog in the morning and return after two or three hours. The longest they stayed out was eight hours, according to the Philippines’ top security official. 

“But still, that time window will not suffice for them to get out of Davao. So, that’s where they really stayed. Maybe they’re using the internet heavily, maybe they’re talking to somebody else. But [in terms] of physical activities, there are none,” Año said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Año said they were still in the process of acquiring CCTV camera footage from different parts of Davao City.

“Probably, the father and son pair were bonding. Probably, the son was recruiting the father. Naveed was recruited first,” Año said.   

Año, himself a former chief of the military, said they’ve yet to determine why the pair decided to stay in Davao in the first place. 

“Perhaps they know that Davao is a very progressive and safe city. We can just speculate on why they chose Davao. There are possibilities,” Año said. 

What kind? The retired general said the two could have wanted to “meet someone who did not come” or maybe meet a prospective contact. 

“We can just speculate based on what happened. But one thing is sure: they did not undergo any training here. They did not meet any local terrorist group member based [in Mindanao],” he said. 

Coordination with Canberra 

The younger Akram, an Australian-born citizen, had been flagged in 2019 by Australian intelligence over suspected ties to a Sydney-based Islamic State cell. But the assessment then, said Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, was that “there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence.”

“These kind of people should be on watch lists and their movements monitored. But, you know, these persons traveling — one person with an Indian passport, and the other with an Austalian passport — that’s [not usually] a red flag for us,” Año said. 

The Philippine security adviser said the two countries are expected to discuss the monitoring of persons who had been flagged but later cleared during regular bilteral consulations with their Australian counterparts on counterterrorism. 

Manila and Canberra enjoy close defense and security ties, including cooperation on counterterrorism efforts in southern Philippines. In recent years, the defense relationship has expanded to include maritime cooperation, as well. – Rappler.com