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It was the most terrifying time of his existence. Back in 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a detonation at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The IS assault claimed 15 lives, including his brother-in-law. A lengthy siege between the military and the jihadist group in Marawi City followed.

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

Nine years later, the shadow of IS once more hangs over one of the nation's key cities, during worldwide focus over the four-week stay in the city of the suspected Bondi beach shooters, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who works as a massage technician at the night market, saw news of Bondi on the television, but as with other residents surveyed, felt largely disconnected.

The 2016 attack is a traumatic event he is trying to move on from. A monument for the 2016 fatalities is placed in a corner of the night market, seeming incongruous amid the joyful atmosphere as many people flocked there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Ongoing Probes Amid Holiday Preparations

Probes regarding the Philippines activities of the father and son coincides with the predominantly Catholic nation is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been adorned with a large Christmas tree, shopping centers are packed, 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 sightseeing, not terrorism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. Officials have emphasized the probe into their whereabouts is active and the precise reason for their trip is as yet unclear.

“It is just regrettable that real concerns are exploited by radicalism. Sadly, the narrative of savage attacks was unfairly glued to the island's character,” stated Karlos Manlupig, executive director of non-governmental organization Balay Mindanao.

Faith in Security Legacy

Lorenzo is also assured that no one could execute another act of terror in the city historically administered by the clan of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both famous and notorious – was forged through tightly securing Davao through hardline anti-crime and anti-drug policies. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four officers stand inspecting bags.

The Philippine government has pushed back against claims that it was a terrorist training ground for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of conflict and marginalisation that has seen some Muslim separatist groups establish links with overseas extremist organizations. 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 did not leave the city nor underwent weapons training in the country, as was initially suggested.

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

Investigators say there are several places the two could have visited or met contacts in the area. Dozens of businesses sit between the GV Hotel and a local Jollibee, where they were understood to buy their meals.

Police are examining security camera video and following transport records to piece together their whereabouts, and that all possibilities are being entertained.

Worries in Marawi Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of a major conflict with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, locals are anxious that fresh terrorist labels could lead to heightened securitisation and deepen prejudice against Muslims.

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

“[The Akrams’] stay should be carefully probed and the information should provide accurate and honest answers without converting questions into accusations against the region or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig lauded community efforts in enhancing the security situation in Davao City but he said “it is not true that terrorism simply disappeared”. He said the country must tackle economic and social issues and governance challenges that motivate the motivations behind the violence while “keep advocating for understanding and prevent discrimination and polarization”.