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This was the most frightening experience of his life. During September 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a blast at the night market in Roxas in Davao City. The Islamic State strike killed 15, among them his wife's brother. A prolonged conflict between the armed forces and the extremist group in Marawi City ensued.

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

Nine years later, the threat of IS again looms over one of the Philippines’ major cities, amid international scrutiny over the four-week stay in the city of the suspected Bondi attackers, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who is a a massage technician at the night market, saw news of the attack on the media, but similar to other locals spoken to, felt predominantly detached.

Even the 2016 bombing is a painful recollection he is trying to move on from. A monument for the 2016 deaths stands in a part of the night market, seeming incongruous amidst the joyful atmosphere as many people gathered there for food, massages and souvenirs.

Current Inquiries Amid Holiday Celebrations

Examinations of the time in the Philippines of the pair is happening while the overwhelmingly Catholic nation is gearing up for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been lit up by a towering Christmas tree, shopping centers are packed, and children knock on doors to perform Christmas songs.

“I was surprised to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for sightseeing, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have stated the probe into their whereabouts is continuing and the precise reason for their stay is as yet unknown.

“It is a shame that legitimate grievances are exploited by extremism. Unfortunately, the story of brutal violence was unfairly glued to the region's image,” said Karlos Manlupig, executive director of non-governmental organization Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Policing History

Lorenzo is additionally certain that nobody could carry out another act of terror in the city for a long time ruled by the family of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both renowned and infamous – was forged through aggressively securitising Davao through tough anti-crime and drug war initiatives. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four officers stand checking bags.

The national government has rejected allegations that it was a terrorist training ground for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of instability and marginalization that has seen some Muslim separatist groups form alliances with overseas extremist organizations. But while IS-linked groups persist, security officials say they are limited in size and weakened.

Investigators Trace Activities

What is certain, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two stayed within the city nor received weapons training in the country, as was initially suggested.

Investigators have said they are “taking seriously” the pair’s stay in the country as they piece together the movements of the suspects during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Police say there are numerous locations the two could have frequented or had meetings in the vicinity. Dozens of establishments sit between the hotel where they stayed and a nearby restaurant, where they were reported to buy their food.

Detectives are analyzing surveillance tapes and tracking transport records to establish their itinerary, and that any potential lead are being explored.

Concerns in the Region Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with IS-linked militants in 2017, residents are worried that new associations with terrorism could lead to tighter restrictions and increase discrimination against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a professor at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, said the Philippine security agencies must find out what transpired.

“[The Akrams’] time here should be carefully probed and the intel should provide accurate and honest answers without turning uncertainty into blame against the region or its people,” Andullah said.

Manlupig praised community efforts in enhancing the security situation in Davao City but he said “it is not true that extremism was eradicated”. He said the country must address socioeconomic factors and governance challenges that drive the motivations behind the violence while “keep advocating for understanding and prevent bias and sectarianism”.