‘No evidence’ Australia’s Bondi gunmen trained in the Philippines: Official

Philippine authoritative said ‘a specified visit’ to the state does not enactment claims the men underwent ‘terrorist training’.

There is nary grounds the suspected gunmen successful the deadly Bondi Beach attack received subject grooming successful the confederate Philippines, Manila’s nationalist information advisor has said, arsenic Australia announced plans to present measures to tighten the country’s hatred code laws.

In a Wednesday statement, Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano confirmed the 2 suspects successful Sunday’s attack successful Sydney, Australia – which saw 15 radical killed aft gunmen opened occurrence astatine a Jewish lawsuit – were successful the state from November 1 to 28 this year.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Praise for radical who died portion trying to halt Bondi Beach attackers
• list 2 of 3Australia constabulary complaint surviving Bondi Beach attacker arsenic archetypal funerals held
• list 3 of 3Video: Mourners be ceremonial of rabbi killed successful Bondi shooting

Ano said migration records showed that 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old lad Naveed Akram travelled via the Philippine superior Manila to Davao City connected the confederate land of Mindanao. He added that Sajid had entered the state connected an Indian passport, portion Naveed entered connected an Australian one.

Ano added that determination was “no evidence” that the men had received “any signifier of subject training” portion successful the country.

“A specified sojourn does not enactment allegations of violent training, and the duration of their enactment would not person allowed for immoderate meaningful oregon structured training,” helium said.

The men mostly stayed successful their edifice rooms erstwhile successful Davao, according to a study by section quality outlet MindaNews. Staff astatine the edifice said the brace checked successful connected November 1 and seldom went retired for much than an hr astatine a clip during their astir monthlong stay.

Australian authorities announced connected Wednesday that Naveed Akram had been charged with 59 offences for his relation successful the attack, including execution and panic charges, erstwhile helium woke from his coma. Sajid Akram, his father, was changeable dormant by constabulary astatine the scene.

Ano besides suggested that reports describing Mindanao – a Muslim-majority portion successful the Catholic-majority country, plagued by a decades-long secessionist struggle – arsenic a “hotspot for convulsive extremism oregon Islamic State ideology” were “outdated and misleading”.

“Since the 2017 Marawi Siege, Philippine information forces person importantly degraded ISIS-affiliated groups successful the country,” helium said, referring to a five-month conflict successful which the ISIL-inspired Maute radical seized the confederate metropolis and fought authorities forces.

“The remnants of these groups person been fragmented, deprived of leadership, and operationally degraded,” Ano added.

A 2014 bid agreement, which saw rebels driblet their secessionist aspirations successful speech for a much almighty and better-funded Muslim autonomous portion called Bangsamoro, has besides brought a grade of calm to Mindanao.

But smaller rebel groups proceed to carry retired sporadic, deadly attacks crossed the restive southern Philippines’ region.

‘Also an onslaught connected the Australian mode of life’: Anthony Albanese

On Thursday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged to present caller authorities cracking down connected hatred code successful effect to the Bondi Beach attack, arsenic helium acknowledged that Australia had witnessed an summation successful anti-Semitism since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks connected Israel, and Israel’s genocidal warfare connected Gaza.

Announcing the caller measures astatine a quality conference, Albanese said his authorities volition question to present authorities making it easier to complaint radical promoting hatred code and unit – including spiritual preachers – portion caller powers volition beryllium created to cancel oregon cull visas of radical who dispersed “hate and division”.

The authorities would besides make a authorities to people organisations whose leaders prosecute successful hatred speech, Albanese added.

Albanese said rising anti-Semitism “culminated connected Sunday successful 1 of the worst acts of wide execution that this state has ever seen”.

“It was an onslaught connected our Jewish assemblage – but it was besides an onslaught connected the Australian mode of life. Australians are shocked and angry. I americium angry. It is wide we request to bash much to combat this evil scourge, overmuch more,” helium said.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said connected Wednesday helium would callback the authorities parliament adjacent week successful bid to walk urgent reforms connected weapon laws.