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It was the most terrifying time of his life. During 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five meters away from a blast at the night market in Roxas in Davao City. The ISIS assault left 15 dead, including his brother-in-law. A five-month battle between the army and the militant group in Marawi ensued.

“It cannot happen again in Davao,” Pendon says.

Nine years later, the specter of IS reappears over one of the country's largest cities, amidst worldwide focus over the four-week stay in the city of the alleged Bondi attackers, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who works as a masseur at the night market, learned of Bondi on the news, but similar to other residents surveyed, felt mostly disconnected.

The 2016 attack is a traumatic event he is working to forget. A memorial for the 2016 victims stands in a section of the night market, seeming mismatched amid the celebratory mood as many people gathered there for food, massages and trinkets.

Ongoing Probes Amid Holiday Celebrations

Examinations of the visit to the country of the duo coincides with the predominantly Catholic nation is gearing up for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been decorated with a tall Christmas tree, shopping centers are packed, and children knock on doors to perform Christmas songs.

“I was surprised to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for tourism, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have stated the probe into their actions is continuing and the precise reason for their stay is as yet unclear.

“It is simply a shame that real concerns are hijacked by extremism. Sadly, the story of extreme conflict was wrongly attached to Mindanao’s image,” said Karlos Manlupig, executive director of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Security History

Lorenzo is additionally assured that nobody could perpetrate another act of terror in the city for a long time governed by the family of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose legacy – both notable and notorious – was built on heavily policing Davao through hardline anti-crime and anti-drug campaigns. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four guards stand searching bags.

The authorities has pushed back against allegations that it was a terrorist training ground for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a complicated background of unrest and marginalisation that has seen some Muslim separatist groups form alliances with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups persist, experts say they are small and degraded.

Investigators Trace Activities

What is clear, stated Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two never left the city nor obtained weapons training in the country, as was previously alleged.

Law enforcement have said they are “treating with gravity” the pair’s stay in the country as they map out the activities of the pair during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Police say there are many locations the two could have visited or connected with associates in the vicinity. Many of establishments sit between the GV Hotel and a local popular fast food chain, where they were known to buy their meals.

Police are examining security camera video and tracking cab rides to piece together their movements, and that any potential lead are being entertained.

Fears in Marawi City Over Labels

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with IS-linked militants in 2017, inhabitants are concerned that renewed terrorist labels could lead to increased security measures and worsen prejudice against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a academic at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine intelligence community must find out what transpired.

“[The Akrams’] stay should be properly investigated and the information should provide accurate and honest answers without turning uncertainty into blame against its people or its people,” Andullah said.

Manlupig commended local initiatives in improving the security situation in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that extremism magically vanished”. He said the country must address root causes and political factors that fuel the reasons behind the conflict while “persist in promoting acceptance and avoid bias and division”.