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That was the most terrifying time of his life. In the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was only five meters away from a blast at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The ISIS attack killed 15, including his brother-in-law. A prolonged siege between the armed forces and the jihadist group in Marawi came after.

“It won’t take place again in Davao,” Pendon asserts.

Nine years later, the threat of IS once more hangs over one of the Philippines’ largest cities, amid international scrutiny over the 28-day stay in the city of the suspected Bondi beach shooters, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who is a a masseur at the night market, saw news of the attack on the news, but like other citizens spoken to, felt mostly removed.

The 2016 attack is a traumatic event he is working to forget. A remembrance marker for the 2016 deaths is placed in a section of the night market, looking mismatched amidst the joyful atmosphere as crowds came there for meals, massages and goods.

Ongoing Inquiries Amid Festive Cheer

Probes regarding the visit to the country of the duo comes as the mostly Catholic nation is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been adorned with a large Christmas tree, shopping centers are busy, and children go door-to-door to sing carols.

“I was taken aback to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for tourism, not violence,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. Officials have emphasized the investigation into their whereabouts is active and the exact reason for their visit is still unclear.

“It is a shame that legitimate grievances are co-opted by terrorism. Regrettably, the narrative of extreme conflict was unfairly glued to the island's image,” stated Karlos Manlupig, executive director of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Security History

Lorenzo is also assured that no one could perpetrate another act of terror in the city historically administered by the clan of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both famous and notorious – was built on aggressively securitising Davao through hardline law and order and drug war policies. At one entrance of the night market, at least four guards stand checking bags.

The Philippine government has denied suggestions that it was a terrorist training ground for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of conflict and marginalisation that has seen some Muslim separatist groups form alliances with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups still exist, authorities say they are limited in size and diminished.

Authorities Trace Movements

What is evident, commented Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two never left the city nor received weapons training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Investigators have said they are “treating with gravity” the pair’s visit in the country as they reconstruct the actions of the pair during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are several establishments the two could have visited or had meetings in the area. Many of establishments sit between the GV Hotel and a nearby popular fast food chain, where they were reported to buy their meals.

Officers are examining surveillance tapes and tracking transport records to establish their itinerary, and that any potential lead are being explored.

Concerns in the Region Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with extremist groups in 2017, residents are worried that renewed accusations of extremism could lead to increased security measures and deepen bias against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a academic at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine investigative bodies must determine what took place.

“[The Akrams’] time here should be properly investigated and the intel should provide clear and truthful answers without transforming doubt into accusations against the region or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig praised civic actions in strengthening the security situation in Davao City but he said “it is not true that extremism magically vanished”. He said the country must confront economic and social issues and political factors that drive the impulses behind the violence while “persist in promoting acceptance and avoid bias and division”.