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That was the scariest experience of his existence. Back in 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a detonation at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The Islamic State strike killed 15, among them his wife's brother. A prolonged siege between the army and the jihadist group in the city of Marawi ensued.

“It won’t take place again in Davao,” Pendon asserts.

Nine years later, the shadow of IS once more hangs over one of the nation's largest cities, during global attention over the month-long stay in the city of the alleged Bondi suspects, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who is a a massage technician at the night market, saw news of the Bondi incident on the television, but similar to other citizens surveyed, felt mostly detached.

The 2016 bombing is a traumatic event he is trying to move on from. A remembrance marker for the 2016 deaths sits in a part of the night market, seeming mismatched amidst the celebratory environment as hundreds flocked there for food, massages and trinkets.

Active Investigations Amid Holiday Cheer

Investigations into the time in the Philippines of the duo coincides with the mostly Catholic nation is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been adorned with a towering Christmas tree, malls are crowded, and children knock on doors to sing carols.

“It surprised me to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for tourism, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. The government have emphasized the inquiry into their whereabouts is ongoing and the precise reason for their trip is still unclear.

“It is just unfortunate that real concerns are exploited by extremism. Unfortunately, the reputation of extreme conflict was wrongly attached to the island's character,” noted Karlos Manlupig, leader of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Safety Legacy

Lorenzo is additionally assured that nobody could perpetrate another terrorist strike in the city historically ruled by the clan of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both famous and controversial – was established by heavily policing Davao through tough law and order and drug war campaigns. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four guards stand searching bags.

The Philippine government has denied claims that it was a terrorist training ground for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a complicated background of conflict and marginalization that has seen some Muslim separatist groups establish links with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups still exist, authorities say they are small and degraded.

Investigators Piece Together Activities

What is certain, stated Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two never left the city nor underwent military-style training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Investigators have said they are “treating with gravity” the pair’s stay in the country as they piece together the activities of the father and son during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Investigators say there are many locations the two could have visited or had meetings in the neighborhood. Many of outlets sit between the hotel where they stayed and a nearby restaurant, where they were understood to buy their food.

Officers are analyzing security camera video and tracing taxi trips to piece together their movements, and that all possibilities are being explored.

Fears in Marawi City Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of a major conflict with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, inhabitants are anxious that new accusations of extremism could lead to heightened securitisation and increase bias against Muslims.

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

“[The Akrams’] time here should be properly investigated and the intelligence should provide clear and truthful answers without turning uncertainty into blame against its people or its people,” Andullah said.

Manlupig lauded community efforts in improving the security situation in Davao City but he said “it is not true that terrorism simply disappeared”. He said the country must tackle root causes and political factors that motivate the impulses behind the violence while “persist in promoting acceptance and steer clear of bias and polarization”.