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This was the most frightening experience of his existence. During September 2016, Gerry Pendon was a mere five meters away from a bomb explosion at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The ISIS assault claimed 15 lives, including his wife's brother. A prolonged conflict between the army and the extremist group in Marawi City ensued.

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

Nine years later, the shadow of IS reappears over one of the nation's largest cities, during international scrutiny over the 28-day stay in the city of the alleged Bondi attackers, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who makes a living as a massage technician at the night market, saw news of the attack on the news, but as with other locals spoken to, felt predominantly disconnected.

Even the 2016 attack is a painful recollection he is attempting to put behind him. A remembrance marker for the 2016 victims sits in a part of the night market, appearing out of place amid the festive atmosphere as crowds gathered there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Ongoing Probes Amid Christmas Preparations

Probes regarding the time in the Philippines of the duo coincides with the mostly Catholic nation is gearing up for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been lit up by a towering Christmas tree, malls are busy, and children go door-to-door to perform Christmas songs.

“I was surprised to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for sightseeing, not terrorism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. The government have emphasized the inquiry into their whereabouts is ongoing and the exact reason for their trip is still unknown.

“It is simply a shame that valid issues are co-opted by extremism. Unfortunately, the narrative of savage attacks was wrongly attached to the island's character,” said Karlos Manlupig, executive director of advocacy group Balay Mindanao.

Faith in Policing Legacy

Lorenzo is furthermore certain that nobody could execute another terrorist strike in the city long governed by the political machine of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both notable and notorious – was forged through heavily policing Davao through hardline anti-crime and drug war policies. At an entrance of the night market, at least four officers stand inspecting bags.

The authorities has denied allegations that it was a hub for extremists for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of instability and marginalisation that has seen some Muslim separatist groups forge ties with international jihadist groups. But while IS-linked groups persist, experts say they are limited in size and degraded.

Authorities Trace Whereabouts

What is clear, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two did not leave the city nor obtained weapons training in the country, as was previously alleged.

Law enforcement have said they are “taking seriously” the pair’s stay in the country as they reconstruct the movements of the pair during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are many places the two could have frequented or had meetings in the neighborhood. Scores of outlets sit between the hotel where they stayed and a local restaurant, where they were known to buy their meals.

Police are reviewing CCTV footage and tracing transport records to reconstruct their whereabouts, and that all possibilities are being entertained.

Fears in Marawi City Over Stigma

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, inhabitants are anxious that renewed accusations of extremism could lead to tighter restrictions and worsen bias against Muslims.

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

“[The Akrams’] visit should be thoroughly examined and the information should provide accurate and honest answers without converting questions into accusations against its people or its people,” Andullah said.

Manlupig praised civic actions in strengthening the security situation in Davao City but he said “that does not imply that extremism magically vanished”. He said the country must confront economic and social issues and governance challenges that drive the impulses behind the conflict while “keep advocating for understanding and steer clear of bias and sectarianism”.