Alleged Bondi shooters holed up in hotel for most of Philippines visit

DAVAO, Philippines – The

father-and-son duo alleged to have gunned down 15 people

at Australia’s Bondi Beach holed themselves up in a Philippine hotel for weeks and left a tip on their way out, staff said on Dec 18.

The Australian authorities are investigating whether Sajid Akram and his son Naveed trained with extremists in November 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 train terrorists

.

The men entered the Philippines on Nov 1, with Davao listed as their final destination, immigration officials confirmed this week.

They checked into room 315 of GV Hotel on the same day, paying 930 pesos (S$20) a night for a small room with two single beds.

The men typically left their room for only 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 that her interactions were with only 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”, Ms Ytang said.

One outing included a hunt for durian, a spiky, pungent fruit that is a South-east Asian delicacy.

“They asked me, ‘Where can we buy durian?’” Ms Ytang said, adding that the search had been unsuccessful.

Ms Ytang said she had never seen the men meet anyone or take a vehicle.

“They just walked around. That’s all they did.”

Staff recognised their faces instantly in news reports on the Sydney massacre, she said.

Two other hotel employees confirmed their stay.

Mr Ram Ligod, the janitor who cleaned their room, said that Naveed had worn his hair long while he was at the hotel.

A regional police spokeswoman said Davao police would release a statement on Dec 18, without providing further details.

Ms Ytang said the Akrams 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,” Ms Ytang added.

“(Naveed) said, ‘That’s yours.’ They were kind. I still can’t believe they were like that.” AFP