New details have emerged about the four-week Philippines trip undertaken by the father and son accused of carrying out the deadly Bondi beach terror attack, painting a picture of an isolated and reclusive stay confined largely to a single hotel room.
A Secluded Stay in Davao City
Filipino police and staff at the GV Hotel in Davao City have confirmed that Sajid and Naveed Akram remained in the southern city for the entire duration of their visit from 1 to 28 November. Contrary to early speculation that the pair may have travelled for extremist training, the initial investigation suggests they rarely ventured out.
Hotel employee Jenelyn Sayson, who interacted with them, stated the duo kept to themselves. They initially booked for seven nights online but repeatedly extended their stay. "They would just go out and come back. Just the two of them …. We never saw them talk to any visitors," Sayson told investigators. Their excursions were brief, lasting only around an hour, and they were never seen using a vehicle or being collected by anyone.
Police Dismiss Training Allegations
The Philippine authorities have strongly refuted international media reports suggesting the Akrams could have undergone "military-style" training from Islamic State-linked groups in the country. National Security Advisor Eduardo Año stated there was no evidence they left Davao City, let alone travelled to areas like Marawi, the site of a previous ISIS siege.
"A mere visit does not support allegations of terrorist training and the duration of their stay would not have allowed for any meaningful and structured training," Año asserted. He confirmed coordination with Australian counterparts to determine the true purpose of the trip. The Philippine military added that the number of ISIS-linked militants in Mindanao is now minimal and there have been no recent records of foreign terrorist activities.
Life Inside the Hotel Room
Hotel staff provided a glimpse into the Akrams' daily routine during their extended stay. They arrived with one large suitcase and a backpack. Housekeeping found rubbish from local fast-food chains in their bins, but no suspicious documents were left behind. Naveed, sporting longer hair than seen in later media images, was occasionally polite, once asking staff where to buy the durian fruit, though he later reported he was unsuccessful.
The pair's behaviour, while reserved, did not initially raise alarms. "We thought they probably had business here in the city since they would go out and just come back again," recalled Sayson. The investigation continues as authorities piece together the timeline of the suspects, who are at the centre of the attack in Sydney that left 15 people dead.
