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It was the scariest moment of his existence. Back in September 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a detonation at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The ISIS assault left 15 dead, among them his brother-in-law. A prolonged conflict between the armed forces and the extremist group in Marawi followed.

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

Nine years later, the shadow of IS again looms over one of the Philippines’ key cities, during global attention over the 28-day stay in the city of the accused Bondi attackers, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who is a a masseur at the night market, heard about the Bondi incident on the news, but similar to other locals spoken to, felt predominantly disconnected.

Even the 2016 blast is a painful recollection he is working to forget. A monument for the 2016 fatalities stands in a section of the night market, seeming out of place amid the joyful environment as crowds gathered there for meals, massages and goods.

Ongoing Probes Amid Christmas Preparations

Examinations of the time in the Philippines of the father and son is happening while the overwhelmingly Catholic nation is gearing up for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been adorned with a large Christmas tree, malls are busy, and children knock on doors to sing carols.

“I was surprised to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for sightseeing, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have emphasized the inquiry into their actions is continuing and the precise reason for their trip is remains uncertain.

“It is just unfortunate that valid issues are co-opted by extremism. Sadly, the story of brutal violence was unfairly glued to Mindanao’s identity,” noted Karlos Manlupig, leader of advocacy group Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Policing History

Lorenzo is additionally confident that no one could carry out another terrorist strike in the city historically governed by the political machine of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both notable and notorious – was forged through aggressively securitising Davao through hardline anti-crime and anti-drug campaigns. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four officers stand searching bags.

The Philippine government has denied claims that it was a base for militant training for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of instability and disenfranchisement that has seen some Islamic independence movements establish links with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups still exist, authorities say they are limited in size and diminished.

Investigators Reconstruct Whereabouts

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

Police have said they are “not taking lightly” the father and son'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 numerous locations the two could have frequented or met contacts in the neighborhood. Scores of outlets sit between the hotel where they stayed and a local popular fast food chain, where they were reported to buy their meals.

Detectives are analyzing surveillance tapes and tracing transport records to establish their movements, and that every scenario are being considered.

Concerns in Marawi Over Labels

In Marawi, the site of a major conflict with extremist groups in 2017, inhabitants are worried that new terrorist labels could lead to increased security measures and worsen discrimination against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a academic at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, said the Philippine security agencies must determine what happened.

“[The Akrams’] visit should be thoroughly examined and the intel should provide accurate and honest answers without turning uncertainty into accusations against Mindanao or its people,” he said.

Manlupig praised community efforts in strengthening the security situation in Davao City but he said “that does not imply that extremism magically vanished”. He said the country must tackle socioeconomic factors and political factors that motivate the reasons behind the violence while “keep advocating for acceptance and avoid discrimination and polarization”.