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That was the most terrifying time of his life. During the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was a mere five metres away from a bomb explosion at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The IS strike left 15 dead, including his wife's brother. A five-month siege between the military and the extremist group in the city of Marawi ensued.

“It will not occur again in Davao,” Pendon states.

Nearly a decade later, the specter of IS again looms over one of the country's major cities, amid global attention over the 28-day stay in the city of the suspected Bondi attackers, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who works as a massage therapist at the night market, saw news of Bondi on the television, but similar to other residents surveyed, felt mostly detached.

Even the 2016 bombing is a bad memory he is trying to move on from. A remembrance marker for the 2016 fatalities is placed in a section of the night market, appearing incongruous amid the celebratory mood as many people gathered there for food, massages and souvenirs.

Active Inquiries Amid Holiday Preparations

Examinations of the visit to the country of the father and son coincides with the mostly Catholic nation is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been adorned 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 terrorism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. Officials have made clear the inquiry into their actions is continuing and the precise reason for their trip is remains uncertain.

“It is unfortunate that real concerns are co-opted by radicalism. Regrettably, the story of savage attacks was unfairly glued to Mindanao’s image,” noted Karlos Manlupig, head of advocacy group Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Policing Legacy

Lorenzo is furthermore certain that nobody could carry out another act of terror in the city historically administered by the family of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both renowned and infamous – was established by heavily policing Davao through tough law and order and drug war policies. At an entrance of the night market, at least four guards stand inspecting bags.

The authorities has pushed back against suggestions that it was a hub for extremists for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of unrest and disenfranchisement that has seen some Islamic independence movements establish links with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups remain present, security officials say they are small and degraded.

Authorities Piece Together Whereabouts

What is clear, stated Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two did not leave the city nor received military-style training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Law enforcement have said they are “treating with gravity” the pair’s visit in the country as they piece together the actions of the father and son during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Police say there are several establishments the two could have gone to or had meetings in the neighborhood. Many of establishments sit between the their accommodation and a nearby Jollibee, where they were understood to buy their food.

Officers are analyzing surveillance tapes and tracking taxi trips to reconstruct their movements, and that any potential lead are being considered.

Fears in Marawi City Over Labels

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with extremist groups in 2017, inhabitants are anxious that new associations with terrorism could lead to heightened securitisation and worsen prejudice against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a professor at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine investigative bodies must find out what transpired.

“[The Akrams’] visit should be carefully probed and the intelligence should provide accurate and honest answers without converting questions into blame against the region or its people,” he said.

Manlupig lauded civic actions in improving the security situation in Davao City but he said “it is not true that extremism simply disappeared”. He said the country must tackle root causes and political factors that motivate the impulses behind the conflict while “keep advocating for understanding and avoid discrimination and division”.