The Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) on Wednesday said it is verifying reports that the father-and-son suspects in the deadly mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, had listed Davao City as their final destination during a recent visit to the Philippines.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has confirmed that the two suspects entered the Philippines in November. BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval identified them as Indian national Sajid Akram, 50, and his Indian-Australian son, Naveed Akram, 24, who have been identified by Australian authorities as suspects in the Bondi Beach shooting on December 14 that left at least 15 people dead.
Sandoval said the two arrived in the Philippines together from Sydney on November 1 and both declared Davao City as their final destination.
PRO 11 spokesperson Major Catherine dela Rey said authorities are conducting a thorough investigation to establish whether the suspects actually arrived in Davao City, where they may have stayed, and who they may have met during their visit.
“Right now, the Police Regional Office 11, along with other agencies, are conducting an investigation to verify if they indeed arrived in Davao. If they did, we are determining where they stayed and the people they met, or whether they only passed through Davao City, or if they did not arrive here at all,” dela Rey told reporters.
Meanwhile, Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) spokesperson Col. Salvacion Evangelista assured the public that there is no cause for alarm, emphasizing that Davao City remains safe and secure.
“Maging mapanatag tayo. Davao City is still safe and secure because your uniformed personnel continue to ensure the safety and security of the city,” Evangelista said during the year-end media briefing and fellowship of the Davao Peace and Security Press Corps media forum held Wednesday morning at The Royal Mandaya Hotel.
EastMinCom also reiterated that it has not received any report confirming that the suspects conducted any activities or training in Mindanao prior to the shooting.
