COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 23 December)– Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua has strongly denied reports linking the suspects of the bloody shooting at Bondi Beach, Australia, to any form of extremist or military training within the region.

In an official statement he issued night of December 22, Macacua emphasized that based on information and data from law enforcement agencies, there is no truth to the speculation that the suspects received combat training while in the country.

“Gathered information regarding the suspects’ previous visit to the southern Philippines shows they did not receive any form of military or extremist training. Instead, investigations indicate that their stay in Mindanao was purely for recreational purposes or vacation,” the Chief Minister said.

The official added that there were no verified sightings or reports of extremist activity linked to the suspects during their time in the Philippines.

The suspects were identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his son, 24-year-old Naveed Akram. Sajid was killed by police at the scene of the crime while Naveed was wounded.

Investigation by Australian authorities revealed that the father and son visited the Philippines from November 1 to November 28, 2025—just weeks before the attack. They stayed at the GV Hotel in Davao City for nearly a month, sparking speculation that they may have undergone “military-style training” in Mindanao.

But both the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the National Security Council (NSC) have stated there is no validated evidence that the suspects visited any extremist training camps.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, in press briefings emphasized that the suspects were in the country for only 28 days (Nov 1–28, 2025), which is considered insufficient time for structured military training.

In an earlier MindaNews report,  the GV Hotel staff was quoted as saying that the father and son stayed in their rooms most of the time, rarely went out for more than an hour, and had no visitors.

Macacua also took the opportunity to remind the public that BARMM has moved far beyond its former image of conflict. 

He stated that the region has not experienced incidents of violent extremism in recent years due to the collaboration between the government and the community.

“The Bangsamoro continues to build peace through inclusive governance and public trust,” Macacua said. ( Ferdinandh Cabrera / MindaNews )