January 9, 2026
MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday welcomed a report from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) stating that the Bondi Beach gunmen were not trained in the Philippines to carry out the attack.
The AFP earlier said that, despite traveling to the Philippines from Nov. 1 to 29, 2025, there was no evidence that the gunmen, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed, were part of a terrorist cell or were directed by anyone in the Philippines.
“The Philippine National Police… welcomed the assessment released by Australian authorities which supported its position that the country was not used for extremist or terror training before the mass shooting at Bondi Beach,” the PNP said in a statement.
“Despite this development, the PNP said it will continue to work with foreign authorities to determine the reason behind the suspects’ travel to the country,” it added.
The father-and-son duo had arrived in the Philippines from Sydney, Australia, travelling around the country with their final destination being in Davao City.
On Dec. 14, the two suspects opened fire on a Jewish holiday celebration at Bondi Beach, killing 15. Naveed was arrested, while Sajid was killed by responding Australian authorities. /mcm