Suspects in deadly Bondi Beach mass shooting spent a month in PH
THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has confirmed that the two suspects in the mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Australia over the weekend spent almost a month in the Philippines.
Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said 50-year-old Sajid Akram and 24-year-old Naveed Akram arrived in the Philippines on November 1 from Sydney, Australia and left the country on November 28, 2025.
She said the older Akram is an Indian national with Australian residency, while his son is an Australian national.
The duo, during their entry to the Philippines, declared that they are going to Davao province.
In an interview on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff General Romeo Brawner said they are investigating the activities of the father-and-son duo during their stay in the country.
“Sa ngayon ang information pa lang na nakukuha natin totoo yon nakarating sila dito sa Pilipinas, pumunta sa Davao. Iniinvestigate natin further ang pinuntahang lugar at sino mga kinausap nila,” said Brawner.
(At this time, the only information we have so far is that it is true they arrived here in the Philippines and went to Davao. We are further investigating the places they went to and who they spoke with.)
“Sa ngayon po ay napakalaki ng accomplishment ng bansa sa pagpuksa sa mga terorista from 2,000 (members) noon bumaba noong Marawi siege, ngayon konti na lang sila. Kayat hindi po natin makita ‘yung sinasabi na nag-training dito ‘yung dalawang gunmen sa Bondi Beach. Pinag-aaralan natin lahat ng mga anggulo,” he added.
(At present, the country has achieved a major accomplishment in eliminating terrorists -- from around 2,000 members before the Marawi siege to only a few remaining now. That is why we do not see evidence to support the claim that the two gunmen at Bondi Beach trained here. We are studying all possible angles.)
Brawner said all of the government’s investigative agencies are involved in the conduct of investigation against the two gunmen, who opened fire at a Jewish holiday celebration on December 14, killing at least 16 individuals, including one of the gunmen.
In a press conference, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said there is no indication yet that the visit of the duo in the Philippines before the beach incident should be considered as an immediate concern or security threat to the Philippines.
Castro maintained that standard security, immigration, and counterterrorism protocols remain fully active, with ongoing coordination with Australian authorities. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)