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That was the most terrifying time of his life. Back in September 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a bomb explosion at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The ISIS assault killed 15, including his brother-in-law. A lengthy battle between the army and the jihadist group in Marawi City ensued.

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

Nearly a decade later, the threat of IS again looms over one of the Philippines’ largest cities, amidst global attention over the four-week stay in the city of the alleged Bondi suspects, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who is a a masseur at the night market, learned of the attack on the television, but similar to other citizens surveyed, felt largely detached.

Even the 2016 blast is a traumatic event he is trying to move on from. A remembrance marker for the 2016 victims stands in a part of the night market, looking out of place amidst the celebratory environment as hundreds gathered there for food, massages and trinkets.

Ongoing Probes Amid Festive Celebrations

Examinations of the visit to the country of the pair comes as the overwhelmingly Catholic nation is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been decorated with a towering Christmas tree, shopping centers are packed, and children go door-to-door to sing carols.

“I was surprised to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for travel, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. The government have emphasized the investigation into their activities is continuing and the true reason for their stay is remains unclear.

“It is a shame that real concerns are hijacked by extremism. Sadly, the reputation of savage attacks was wrongly attached to the island's character,” noted Karlos Manlupig, executive director of advocacy group Balay Mindanao.

Faith in Security History

Lorenzo is furthermore certain that nobody could execute another terror attack in the city long administered by the political machine of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both renowned and notorious – was built on aggressively securitising Davao through hardline law and order and anti-drug campaigns. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four personnel stand checking bags.

The authorities has rejected claims that it was a base for militant training for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of unrest and marginalisation that has seen some Islamic independence movements establish links with overseas extremist organizations. But while IS-linked groups persist, security officials say they are small and diminished.

Authorities Piece Together Whereabouts

What is clear, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two did not leave the city nor received combat training in the country, as was initially suggested.

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

Police say there are numerous locations the two could have frequented or had meetings in the area. Many of outlets sit between the GV Hotel and a nearby restaurant, where they were reported to buy their food.

Detectives are reviewing surveillance tapes and following transport records to reconstruct their itinerary, and that every scenario are being entertained.

Concerns in Marawi City Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with IS-linked militants in 2017, locals are anxious that renewed associations with terrorism could lead to increased security measures and worsen prejudice against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a professor at the university in Marawi City, said the Philippine security agencies must determine what took place.

“[The Akrams’] visit should be thoroughly examined and the information should provide clear and truthful answers without converting questions into finger-pointing against Mindanao or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig lauded civic actions in improving the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “that does not imply that radicalism simply disappeared”. He said the country must confront economic and social issues and governance challenges that drive the reasons behind the unrest while “keep advocating for understanding and avoid bias and sectarianism”.