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That was the scariest experience of his life. During September 2016, Gerry Pendon was a mere five meters away from a bomb explosion at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The IS attack claimed 15 lives, including his brother-in-law. A prolonged siege between the military and the extremist group in the city of Marawi came after.

“It won’t occur again in Davao,” Pendon states.

Nine years later, the shadow of IS reappears over one of the country's key cities, amidst global attention over the month-long stay in the city of the suspected Bondi suspects, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who makes a living as a massage therapist at the night market, saw news of the attack on the media, but as with other residents surveyed, felt mostly disconnected.

The 2016 attack is a bad memory he is attempting to put behind him. A memorial for the 2016 deaths sits in a section of the night market, looking mismatched amid the festive atmosphere as many people gathered there for meals, massages and trinkets.

Active Inquiries Amid Holiday Celebrations

Probes regarding the time in the Philippines of the duo is happening while the predominantly Catholic nation is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been adorned with a large Christmas tree, malls are packed, and children go door-to-door to sing carols.

“It surprised me to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for travel, not terrorism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have emphasized the probe into their whereabouts is active and the true reason for their trip is remains unknown.

“It is a shame that real concerns are exploited by terrorism. Regrettably, the story of brutal violence was wrongly attached to the region's character,” stated Karlos Manlupig, head of advocacy group Balay Mindanao.

Faith in Safety Legacy

Lorenzo is additionally certain that nobody could perpetrate another terror attack in the city long ruled by the clan of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both notable and controversial – was built on heavily policing Davao through strict anti-crime and drug war initiatives. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four officers stand searching bags.

The national government has rejected claims that it was a base for militant training for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a complicated background of unrest and disenfranchisement that has seen some Islamic independence movements form alliances with international jihadist groups. But while IS-linked groups still exist, security officials say they are limited in size and diminished.

Authorities Piece Together Whereabouts

What is evident, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two did not leave the city nor underwent weapons training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Police have said they are “taking seriously” the father and son's presence in the country as they piece together the activities of the pair during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Investigators say there are numerous places the two could have gone to or connected with associates in the vicinity. Many of businesses sit between the hotel where they stayed and a close by popular fast food chain, where they were reported to buy their meals.

Police are examining security camera video and following taxi trips to reconstruct their whereabouts, and that any potential lead are being entertained.

Fears in Marawi Over Stigma

In Marawi, the site of a major conflict with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, inhabitants are concerned that renewed associations with terrorism could lead to heightened securitisation and increase bias against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a academic at the university in Marawi City, said the Philippine intelligence community must determine what took place.

“[The Akrams’] time here should be thoroughly examined and the intelligence should provide accurate and honest answers without transforming doubt into blame against the region or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig praised local initiatives in strengthening the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “it is not true that terrorism magically vanished”. He said the country must tackle socioeconomic factors and political factors that fuel the impulses behind the conflict while “keep advocating for tolerance and steer clear of prejudice and sectarianism”.