‘No evidence’ Bondi gunmen trained in Philippines

The Philippines’ national security adviser says there is no evidence that the two men involved in the Bondi Beach attack received any military training while in the Philippines.

Eduardo Ano said in a statement that a mere visit to the country does not prove allegations of terrorist training and that their stay would not allow for meaningful or structured training.

Father and son are accused of opening fire at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, killing 15 people in an attack that shocked Australia and raised fears of anti-Semitism and violent extremism.

Ano dismissed media reports portraying the southern Philippines as a hotspot for violent extremism as “outdated” and “misleading”, stating that the government was investigating the two men’s travel between November 1 and 28 and coordinating with Australian authorities to determine the purpose of the visit.

Immigration records show the pair landed in Manila and headed to Davao, a city in Mindanao long troubled by Islamist militants, before the attack, which Australian police say was inspired by the Islamic State.

Philippine troops have significantly weakened ISIS-affiliated groups since the 2017 siege of Marawi, a five-month war in which the Islamic State-inspired Maute group captured the southern city and fought government forces, Ano said Wednesday.

“The remnants of these groups are fragmented, deprived of leadership and operationally disrupted,” he said.