Trending:Susie Wiles interviewBondi Beach shootingUS-Venezuela tensionsRob Reiner deathIPL AuctionHomebound shortlisted for OscarsPhilippines denies being a ‘terror training ground’ for Bondi Beach gunmenFP News Desk • December 17, 2025, 13:49:50 ISTWhatsapp Facebook TwitterThe Philippine government said there was no evidence that Sajid Akram and his son Naveed received any militant training in the country before carrying out the Sydney Hanukkah shootingAdvertisementSubscribe Join Us+ Follow us On GoogleChoose Firstpost on GoogleThis screen grab of UGC video taken on December 14, 2025 and received courtesy of Mike Ortiz shows beach-goers fleeing Bondi Beach after gunmen opened fire, in Sydney on December 14, 2025. (AFP)The Philippines on Wednesday pushed back strongly against remarks that the country may have been used as a training ground for terrorism, following revelations that the men behind Australia’s deadly Bondi Beach shooting had visited the country weeks before the attack. Government officials said there was no evidence to support claims that Sajid Akram and his son Naveed, who carried out the mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, received any form of militant training during their stay in the Philippines. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD“(President Ferdinand Marcos) strongly rejects the sweeping statement and the misleading characterisation of the Philippines as the Isis training hotspot,” presidential spokeswoman Claire Castro said during a press briefing. More from World Crude oil prices crash to $55 a barrel — the lowest level since early 2021 UK inflation falls to 3.2% in November, boosting expectations of Bank of England rate cutShe added that authorities had seen nothing to substantiate the allegations.“No evidence has been presented to support claims that the country was used for terrorist training,” Castro said, reading from a statement issued by the National Security Council.“There is no validated report or confirmation that individuals involved in the Bondi Beach incident received any form of training in the Philippines,” she added. The comments came a day after the Philippine immigration office confirmed that Akram and his son entered the country on November 1 and travelled to Davao, a city in the southern island of Mindanao. The region has long been associated with Islamist insurgencies fighting the central government. Quick ReadsView AllCrude oil prices crash to $55 a barrel — the lowest level since early 2021UK inflation falls to 3.2% in November, boosting expectations of Bank of England rate cutAustralian investigators are now examining whether the father-son duo may have met extremist elements during their time in the country. However, Philippine security officials insist that the threat landscape in Mindanao has changed significantly in recent years.
