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It was the most frightening moment of his life. During 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a blast at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The Islamic State assault claimed 15 lives, among them his wife's brother. A five-month conflict between the army and the militant group in Marawi City followed.

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

Nearly a decade later, the specter of IS once more hangs over one of the nation's largest cities, amid global attention over the four-week stay in the city of the suspected Bondi beach shooters, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who works as a massage therapist at the night market, learned of the attack on the news, but similar to other residents spoken to, felt mostly disconnected.

Even the 2016 bombing is a traumatic event he is attempting to put behind him. A monument for the 2016 fatalities is placed in a part of the night market, appearing mismatched amid the festive environment as crowds flocked there for meals, massages and trinkets.

Active Investigations Amid Festive Preparations

Examinations of the time in the Philippines of the pair is happening while the mostly Catholic country is gearing up for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been decorated with a tall Christmas tree, malls are crowded, and children go door-to-door to sing carols.

“It surprised me to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for sightseeing, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have emphasized the probe into their actions is continuing and the precise reason for their stay is remains unknown.

“It is regrettable that valid issues are hijacked by radicalism. Regrettably, the reputation of extreme conflict was incorrectly tied to the island's character,” stated Karlos Manlupig, head of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Safety History

Lorenzo is also certain that no one could execute another act of terror in the city long ruled by the political machine of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both famous and controversial – was forged through aggressively securitising Davao through hardline law and order and anti-drug policies. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four officers stand checking bags.

The national government has pushed back against claims that it was a base for militant training for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of unrest and marginalisation that has seen some Muslim separatist groups form alliances with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups remain present, security officials say they are limited in size and diminished.

Authorities Reconstruct Activities

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

Law enforcement have said they are “treating with gravity” the pair’s visit in the country as they reconstruct the movements of the father and son during their four-week stay in Davao City.

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

Detectives are reviewing CCTV footage and tracing taxi trips to reconstruct their itinerary, and that all possibilities are being explored.

Fears in Marawi Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, residents are concerned that fresh accusations of extremism could lead to heightened securitisation and deepen prejudice against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a professor at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, said the Philippine intelligence community must establish what happened.

“[The Akrams’] stay should be properly investigated and the information should provide clear and truthful answers without turning uncertainty into finger-pointing against Mindanao or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig lauded civic actions in enhancing the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that radicalism was eradicated”. He said the country must confront socioeconomic factors and governance challenges that motivate the impulses behind the unrest while “persist in promoting acceptance and avoid discrimination and polarization”.