Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said there is no evidence that the two suspects in the Bondi Beach attack received military or terrorist training during their visit to the Philippines. He explained that simply visiting the country does not support such claims, and their short stay would not have allowed any organised training.

The father and son, accused of opening fire at a Hanukkah event in Sydney and killing 15 people, had travelled to the Philippines from Nov 1 to 28. Authorities are investigating the purpose of the trip in coordination with Australia. Año dismissed reports describing southern Philippines as a centre for extremism as outdated and misleading.

Immigration records show the pair visited Manila and Davao City in Mindanao, but local reports say they spent most of their time confined to their hotel rooms and had little interaction with others. Año added that extremist groups in the region have been severely weakened since the 2017 Marawi siege, leaving them fragmented and operationally diminished.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.