Security cooperation and intelligence-sharing between the Philippines and Australia are ongoing following the mass shooting at Bondi Beach on December 14, Philippine officials said.

This comes amid foreign media reports tagged the Philippines as a terrorism “hotspot” in Southeast Asia — a claim Philippine security officials have strongly disputed.

According to National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, Philippine authorities are coordinating closely with their Australian counterparts to obtain intelligence related to the Bondi Beach incident.

In particular, officials are seeking clarification on Australian intelligence regarding the purpose of the gunman and his father’s visit to Davao City, where they reportedly entered the country as tourists, RH Edniel Parrosa reported on dzRH's Damdaming Bayan.

In a separate statement, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Padilla confirmed that intelligence-sharing between the two countries remains active, noting that such cooperation is reinforced by the existing Visiting Forces Agreement and other security arrangements between Australia and Manila.

The National Security Council (NSC) described reports labeling the Philippines as a terrorism hotspot as “misleading,” emphasizing that local terrorist groups have suffered major setbacks since the end of the 2017 Marawi siege.

Año underscored that both the United Nations and the United States have acknowledged that only remnants of local terrorist groups remain in the country, following sustained military and law enforcement operations.

Citing AFP data, Padilla said membership in local terrorist groups has drastically declined — from an estimated 1,257 fighters at the height of the Marawi conflict to around 50 remaining individuals today.

In another statement, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said investigators are closely examining the movements of the gunman and his father during their stay in the Philippines, including the places they visited and the individuals they may have met prior to traveling to Australia.

“Pinag-aaralan pa natin [AFP], iniinvestigate pa natin further kung ano ‘yung mga pinuntahan nilang mga lugar kung sino ang nga kinausap nila,” Brawner said.

”At saka hindi namin makita ‘yung sinasabi na nagttraining dito ‘yung dalawang gunmen doon sa bondi beach sa Australia,” he added.