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That was the most frightening time of his life. In 2016, Gerry Pendon was a mere five metres away from a bomb explosion at the night market in Roxas in Davao City. The IS assault killed 15, among them his brother-in-law. A prolonged battle between the military and the militant group in Marawi City came after.

“It will not occur again in Davao,” Pendon states.

Nearly a decade later, the threat of IS once more hangs over one of the nation's major cities, amid worldwide focus over the 28-day stay in the city of the accused Bondi suspects, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who is a a massage therapist at the night market, saw news of the attack on the television, but similar to other locals interviewed, felt predominantly removed.

The 2016 attack is a traumatic event he is trying to move on from. A memorial for the 2016 deaths stands in a corner of the night market, looking out of place amidst the festive environment as hundreds gathered there for food, massages and trinkets.

Ongoing Probes Amid Christmas Celebrations

Probes regarding the visit to the country of the duo coincides with the mostly Catholic nation is gearing up for Christmas. Davao’s municipal hall has been adorned with a tall Christmas tree, shopping centers 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 tourism, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. The government have made clear the investigation into their activities is active and the exact reason for their trip is as yet uncertain.

“It is regrettable that valid issues are co-opted by extremism. Unfortunately, the narrative of savage attacks was wrongly attached to Mindanao’s character,” noted Karlos Manlupig, executive director of non-governmental organization Balay Mindanao.

Faith in Safety Record

Lorenzo is additionally assured that no one could perpetrate another act of terror in the city long governed by the family of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both notable and infamous – was built on tightly securing Davao through hardline anti-crime and anti-drug initiatives. At an entrance of the night market, at minimum four personnel stand searching bags.

The national government has pushed back against allegations that it was a terrorist training ground for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of instability and disenfranchisement that has seen some Muslim separatist groups forge ties with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups persist, experts say they are limited in size and diminished.

Police Reconstruct Whereabouts

What is clear, stated Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two stayed within the city nor obtained combat training in the country, as was initially suggested.

Police have said they are “taking seriously” the pair’s stay in the country as they piece together the movements of the suspects during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Investigators say there are many locations the two could have gone to or connected with associates in the neighborhood. Scores of establishments sit between the their accommodation and a local restaurant, where they were known to buy their food.

Detectives are reviewing CCTV footage and tracing cab rides to establish their whereabouts, and that all possibilities are being entertained.

Worries in Marawi City Over Stigma

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with IS-linked militants in 2017, inhabitants are anxious that fresh terrorist labels could lead to tighter restrictions and worsen bias against Muslims.

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

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

Manlupig commended community efforts in enhancing the security situation in Davao City but he said “that does not imply that terrorism magically vanished”. He said the country must address socioeconomic factors and political factors that drive the impulses behind the unrest while “persist in promoting tolerance and prevent discrimination and polarization”.