Staff recall the Bondi Beach attackers’ quiet weeks in a Philippines hotel as Australia probes possible extremist links in Mindanao
DAVAO: The father-and-son duo alleged to have gunned down 15 people on Australia’s Bondi Beach holed themselves up in a Philippines hotel for weeks and left a tip on their way out, staff told AFP Thursday.
Australian authorities are investigating whether Sajid Akram and his son Naveed trained with extremists last month during a trip to the southern Mindanao region where there is a long history of Islamist insurgencies.
The Philippines says there is no evidence to suggest that the country was being used to coach terrorists.
The men entered the Philippines on November 1, with Davao listed as their final destination, immigration officials confirmed this week.
They checked into room 315 of the GV Hotel the same day, paying 930 pesos (about $16) per night for the small room with two single beds.
The men typically only left their room for an hour or so each day and largely kept to themselves, night desk manager Angelica Ytang, 20, told AFP.
“They weren’t approachable like other foreigners. Other foreigners usually chat with me, but they didn’t,” she said, adding her only interactions were with Naveed, while the father “always looked down” and avoided eye contact.
The pair never discussed the purpose of their stay and would typically leave the hotel in the morning but “didn’t stay out long… the longest we observed was about one hour”, Ytang said.
One outing included a hunt for durian, a spiky, pungent fruit that is a Southeast Asian delicacy.
“They asked me, ‘Where can we buy durian?'” Ytang said, adding the search had been unsuccessful.
Ytang said she had never seen the men meet with anyone or take a vehicle.
“They just walked around. That’s all they did.”
Staff recognised their faces instantly in news reports about the Sydney massacre, she said.
Two other hotel employees confirmed their stay.
Ram Ligod, the janitor who cleaned their room, told AFP Naveed had worn his hair long while he was at the hotel.
A regional police spokeswoman said Davao police would release a statement on Thursday, without providing further details.
Ytang said the Akrams had left a tip on their departure.
“I said, ‘Sir, you forgot your deposit’. The son took it, then the father said to give it to me,” Ytang said.
“(Naveed) said, ‘That’s yours.’ They were kind. I still can’t believe they were like that.” – AFP
