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That was the most frightening time of his life. During 2016, Gerry Pendon was only five meters away from a bomb explosion at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The ISIS assault claimed 15 lives, among them his wife's brother. A five-month battle between the military and the jihadist group in Marawi came after.

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

Nine years later, the threat of IS reappears over one of the Philippines’ major cities, amidst global attention over the 28-day stay in the city of the alleged Bondi suspects, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who works as a massage therapist at the night market, learned of the Bondi incident on the news, but like other citizens surveyed, felt predominantly detached.

The 2016 attack is a bad memory he is working to forget. A memorial for the 2016 deaths is placed in a corner of the night market, looking mismatched amid the joyful atmosphere as crowds came there for food, massages and goods.

Active Probes Amid Holiday Celebrations

Probes regarding the visit to the country of the father and son coincides with the mostly Catholic country is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s municipal hall has been adorned with a tall Christmas tree, malls are packed, and children knock on doors to sing carols.

“I was surprised 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 made clear the probe into their whereabouts is active and the precise reason for their trip is as yet uncertain.

“It is just a shame that legitimate grievances are hijacked by radicalism. Regrettably, the story of savage attacks was wrongly attached to the region's character,” stated Karlos Manlupig, executive director of non-governmental organization Balay Mindanao.

Faith in Policing Legacy

Lorenzo is also assured that nobody could carry out another act of terror in the city long administered by the family of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose legacy – both renowned and notorious – was forged through tightly securing Davao through hardline law and order and anti-drug policies. At an entrance of the night market, at minimum four officers stand searching bags.

The national government has pushed back against suggestions that it was a base for militant training for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of instability and marginalisation that has seen some Muslim separatist groups forge ties with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups remain present, security officials say they are limited in size and diminished.

Authorities Trace Movements

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

Investigators have said they are “taking seriously” the pair’s presence in the country as they map out the actions of the pair during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are many establishments the two could have gone to or met contacts in the neighborhood. Dozens of establishments sit between the GV Hotel and a nearby popular fast food chain, where they were understood to buy their food.

Police are examining security camera video and tracking taxi trips to piece together their whereabouts, and that all possibilities are being entertained.

Concerns in Marawi Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of a major conflict with extremist groups in 2017, inhabitants are concerned that fresh associations with terrorism could lead to tighter restrictions and increase discrimination against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the university in Marawi City, said the Philippine intelligence community must find out what happened.

“[The Akrams’] visit should be properly investigated and the intelligence should provide transparent and factual answers without turning uncertainty into blame against Mindanao or its people,” he said.

Manlupig commended community efforts in enhancing the security situation in Davao City but he said “it is not true that radicalism was eradicated”. He said the country must confront socioeconomic factors and political factors that drive the motivations behind the conflict while “persist in promoting acceptance and prevent prejudice and polarization”.