MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has strongly rejected claims that the Philippines is an ISIS training hotspot, after foreign media reports linked the country to the gunmen behind the deadly mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
The statement came after authorities confirmed that the two suspects had stayed in the Philippines for nearly a month before returning to Australia.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President dismissed the characterization of the Philippines as a “terror hotspot” as misleading and unsupported by evidence.
“The President strongly rejects the sweeping statement and the misleading characterization of the Philippines as an ISIS training hotspot,” Castro said during a Malacañang briefing.
No proof of training in PH
The National Security Council (NSC) said there is no validated information showing that the suspects received terrorist training while in the Philippines.
“Currently, there is no validated report or confirmation that the individuals involved in the Bondi Beach incident received any form of training in the Philippines,” the NSC said in a statement.
It added that Philippine authorities are coordinating with international partners to verify all available information, stressing that no evidence has been presented to support claims that the country was used for terrorist training.
Travel records
Records from the Bureau of Immigration show that the two suspects arrived in the Philippines from Sydney on November 1 and declared Davao as their final destination.
“They left the country on November 28, on a connecting flight from Davao to Manila, with Sydney as their final destination,” Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the two men were likely radicalized by Islamic State (IS) ideology. Police reportedly found IS flags in the suspects’ vehicle, raising suspicions of links to the extremist group.
Weakened terror groups, says NSC
The NSC emphasized that ISIS-affiliated groups in the Philippines have been “significantly degraded” since the 2017 Marawi siege.
Assessments by both the United Nations and the United States government indicate that these groups now operate in a fragmented and diminished capacity, the council said.
The NSC also noted that violence in Mindanao is largely driven by long-standing clan feuds rather than international terrorism, adding that sustained government efforts have led to security improvements in the region.
“The President has ordered the Anti-Terrorism Council and its member agencies to remain vigilant in preventing any terrorist activity within Philippine territory and to further strengthen coordination with international partners to continuously safeguard national security,” the NSC said.
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