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It was the most terrifying time of his life. Back in September 2016, Gerry Pendon was only five metres away from a blast at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The ISIS strike killed 15, including his wife's brother. A lengthy battle between the military and the jihadist group in Marawi City ensued.

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

Nearly a decade later, the specter of IS again looms over one of the Philippines’ largest cities, amidst international scrutiny over the 28-day stay in the city of the suspected Bondi beach shooters, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who works as a massage therapist at the night market, learned of the Bondi incident on the news, but as with other residents interviewed, felt mostly detached.

The 2016 attack is a traumatic event he is attempting to put behind him. A monument for the 2016 deaths is placed in a part of the night market, seeming mismatched against the festive mood as many people gathered there for meals, massages and goods.

Ongoing Probes Amid Holiday Celebrations

Investigations into the Philippines activities of the duo coincides with the mostly Catholic country is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been lit up by a towering Christmas tree, malls are busy, and children go door-to-door to perform Christmas songs.

“I was taken aback to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for travel, not violence,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have stated the probe into their whereabouts is ongoing and the true reason for their visit is as yet unclear.

“It is simply unfortunate that real concerns are hijacked by extremism. Regrettably, the narrative of savage attacks was wrongly attached to the region's identity,” noted Karlos Manlupig, executive director of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Policing Legacy

Lorenzo is furthermore assured that nobody could perpetrate another terror attack in the city historically governed by the family of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose legacy – both famous and controversial – was established by aggressively securitising Davao through hardline law and order and anti-drug campaigns. At an entrance of the night market, at minimum four personnel stand searching bags.

The authorities has denied suggestions that it was a base for militant training for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of instability and marginalisation that has seen some Islamic independence movements forge ties with international jihadist groups. But while IS-linked groups persist, experts say they are limited in size and weakened.

Authorities Piece Together Activities

What is certain, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two did not leave the city nor received military-style training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Police have said they are “treating with gravity” the pair’s visit in the country as they map out the activities of the father and son during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Investigators say there are numerous establishments the two could have gone to or had meetings in the area. Scores of establishments sit between the their accommodation and a close by popular fast food chain, where they were reported to buy their meals.

Officers are analyzing CCTV footage and tracking taxi trips to piece together their itinerary, and that all possibilities are being considered.

Worries in Marawi Over Labels

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, inhabitants are concerned that new associations with terrorism could lead to heightened securitisation and deepen discrimination against Muslims.

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

“[The Akrams’] time here should be properly investigated and the intel should provide transparent and factual answers without converting questions into finger-pointing against Mindanao or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig praised local initiatives in strengthening the peace and order in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that radicalism simply disappeared”. He said the country must address economic and social issues and governance challenges that drive the impulses behind the violence while “continue pushing for acceptance and steer clear of discrimination and polarization”.