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That was the most frightening experience of his life. Back in the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was only five metres away from a detonation at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The ISIS attack claimed 15 lives, among them his brother-in-law. A five-month conflict between the military and the extremist group in Marawi City followed.

“It cannot take place again in Davao,” Pendon asserts.

Nearly a decade later, the specter of IS reappears over one of the Philippines’ key cities, amid international scrutiny over the month-long stay in the city of the suspected Bondi suspects, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who works as a massage technician at the night market, heard about the attack on the television, but similar to other citizens surveyed, felt mostly detached.

The 2016 bombing is a traumatic event he is working to forget. A monument for the 2016 fatalities sits in a section of the night market, looking out of place against the celebratory mood as hundreds flocked there for food, massages and souvenirs.

Ongoing Inquiries Amid Festive Celebrations

Examinations of the visit to the country of the father and son coincides with the mostly Catholic nation is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been adorned with a towering Christmas tree, malls are busy, and children knock on doors to sing carols.

“It surprised me to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for sightseeing, not violence,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have made clear the investigation into their activities is ongoing and the precise reason for their trip is as yet unclear.

“It is just regrettable that legitimate grievances are exploited by radicalism. Unfortunately, the narrative of savage attacks was wrongly attached to the region's identity,” stated Karlos Manlupig, executive director of advocacy group Balay Mindanao.

Faith in Safety Record

Lorenzo is also certain that no one could perpetrate another act of terror in the city historically governed by the political machine of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose legacy – both notable and infamous – was forged through tightly securing Davao through tough law and order and drug war initiatives. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four personnel stand checking bags.

The authorities has pushed back against allegations that it was a terrorist training ground for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of unrest and marginalization that has seen some Muslim separatist groups forge ties with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups still exist, security officials say they are small and diminished.

Police Reconstruct Activities

What is certain, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two never left the city nor received weapons training in the country, as was previously alleged.

Police have said they are “not taking lightly” the pair’s presence in the country as they map out the movements of the father and son during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are many locations the two could have frequented or had meetings in the neighborhood. Scores of businesses sit between the hotel where they stayed and a local Jollibee, where they were understood to buy their meals.

Detectives are reviewing security camera video and tracking taxi trips to reconstruct their itinerary, and that all possibilities are being considered.

Fears in Marawi City Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of a major conflict with IS-linked militants in 2017, inhabitants are anxious that new terrorist labels could lead to tighter restrictions and increase bias against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a professor at the university in Marawi City, said the Philippine intelligence community must establish what transpired.

“[The Akrams’] visit should be properly investigated and the intelligence should provide clear and truthful answers without transforming doubt into finger-pointing against Mindanao or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig commended civic actions in strengthening the security situation in Davao City but he said “that does not imply that extremism simply disappeared”. He said the country must tackle economic and social issues and political factors that motivate the motivations behind the conflict while “keep advocating for acceptance and prevent bias and polarization”.