Bondi Beach suspect father landed in the Philippines as a ‘Indian national.’ immigration

Manila, Philippines: The father and son reportedly responsible for one of Australia’s bloodiest mass shootings spent virtually the entire month of November in the Philippines, officials in Manila said Tuesday, with the father arriving as a “Indian national”.

Sajid Akram and his son Naveed, who reportedly killed 15 people and injured scores more at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney’s Bondi Beach, entered the country on November 1 with the southern province of Davao as their final goal.

“Sajid Akram, 50, an Indian national, and Naveed Akram, 24, an Australian national, arrived in the Philippines together last November 1, 2025, from Sydney, Australia,” immigration official Dana Sandoval told AFP.

“Both identified Davao as their eventual destination. They departed the country on November 28, 2025, on a connecting aircraft from Davao to Manila, with their final destination being Sydney.”

Police and military officials previously informed reporters that they were still confirming the duo’s presence in the nation.

According to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the two men were most likely radicalized by “Islamic State ideology”.

Mindanao, the Philippines’ southernmost island and home to Davao province, has a long history of Islamist insurgency against central government administration.

In 2017, pro-Islamic State Maute and Abu Sayyaf terrorists, comprising foreign and local fighters, besieged Mindanao’s Marawi city.

The Philippine military reclaimed the destroyed city following a five-month fight that lost over 1,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of residents.

While rebel activity in Mindanao has drastically decreased in recent years, the Philippine army continues to pursue leaders of groups considered “terrorists”.