Malacañang ‘strongly rejects’ ISIS training claims for Bondi Beach assailants’ visit in PH

By Nash Villena, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
December 17, 2025

SWEEPING, MISLEADING. Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro addressed foreign media reports claiming the father and son suspects of the Bondi Beach mass shooting trained with Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-affiliated terrorist groups in Mindanao (Dec. 17, 2025). (Screengrab from RTVMalacanang/YouTube)

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang ‘strongly rejects’ growing insinuations from foreign media after reports that the father-son Bondi Beach gunmen spent nearly a month in Davao to train, allegedly with local terrorist groups affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro stressed on Wednesday that “the President strongly rejects the sweeping statements and the misleading characterization of the Philippines as the ISIS training hotspot.”

Castro also urged international media outlets to be ‘responsible’ with their reportage after news reports implicated the two gunmen involved in the Sydney mass shooting could have trained with local terrorists in the southern Philippines.

“Maging mapanuri at responsable din po sa pagpapahayag lalo ito ay nakakaapekto sa integridad at imahe ng Pilipinas,” she added.

(Let us be discerning and responsible in our reporting, especially when these reports affect the integrity and image of the Philippines.)

The Palace’s response came after Australian police authorities recovered two homemade ISIS flags from the assailants’ vehicle at the crime scene, along with improvised explosive devices.

As for the National Security Council (NSC), in a statement read by Castro in front of Palace reporters, the council affirmed that there are still no validated reports or information that the two shooters received any training from ISIS-linked groups in the country.

“Currently, there are no validated reports or information that the individuals involved in the Bondi Beach incident received any form of training in the Philippines,” the NSC said. 

“Philippine authorities, in coordination with international partners, continue to verify all available information, but no evidence has been presented to support claims that the country was used for terrorist training,” it added.

NSC also noted that the presence of terrorist groups in Mindanao had strongly diminished since the events of the Marawi Siege in 2017.

“Both the United Nations and United States assessments indicate that these groups now operate in a fragmented and diminished capacity,” the council continued in its statement. “Violence in Mindanao is driven largely by historical conflicts and local clan disputes rather than operational capacities of ISIS-affiliated organizations.”

Since the recent confirmation about the Bondi Beach gunmen’s visit to the Philippines in November, Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the Anti-Terrorism Council and other agencies “to remain vigilant in preventing any terrorist activity within Philippine territory and to continuously enhance coordination with international partners to safeguard national security.”

According to the Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday, the suspects in the Bondi Beach shooting, Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, reportedly stayed in the Philippines from Nov. 1 to Nov. 28, with the province of Davao as their final destination before heading back to Sydney.

The tragic incident that unfolded at the famous beach on Dec. 14 during the onset of Hanukkah killed 15 people and hospitalized over 40 victims. Sajid was killed by police authorities in an encounter, while his son, Naveed, was hospitalized and has recently awakened from a coma. The Australian government has since called the unusual shooting incident an act of terrorism.