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It was the most terrifying time of his existence. Back in 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a bomb explosion at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The ISIS strike claimed 15 lives, including his brother-in-law. A five-month siege between the military and the extremist group in Marawi City ensued.

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

Years later, the specter of IS reappears over one of the Philippines’ major cities, during worldwide focus over the 28-day stay in the city of the suspected Bondi beach shooters, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who makes a living as a massage technician at the night market, heard about the Bondi incident on the media, but as with other residents interviewed, felt predominantly disconnected.

The 2016 blast is a bad memory he is working to forget. A remembrance marker for the 2016 fatalities sits in a part of the night market, seeming incongruous against the joyful environment as crowds gathered there for food, massages and trinkets.

Current Inquiries Amid Christmas Celebrations

Investigations into the time in the Philippines of the duo comes as the overwhelmingly Catholic nation is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s municipal hall has been decorated with a large Christmas tree, malls are packed, and children knock on doors to perform Christmas songs.

“I was taken aback to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for tourism, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. The government have made clear the inquiry into their actions is continuing and the precise reason for their visit is remains unknown.

“It is simply regrettable that legitimate grievances are exploited by extremism. Unfortunately, the narrative of extreme conflict was incorrectly tied to the island's identity,” said Karlos Manlupig, head of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Policing Legacy

Lorenzo is furthermore confident that no one could carry out another act of terror in the city historically administered by the political machine of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose legacy – both renowned and infamous – was forged through aggressively securitising Davao through strict anti-crime and anti-drug policies. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four personnel stand checking bags.

The national government has pushed back against claims that it was a terrorist training ground for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of conflict and marginalization that has seen some Muslim separatist groups forge ties with international jihadist groups. But while IS-linked groups remain present, experts say they are limited in size and diminished.

Authorities Trace Activities

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

Police have said they are “taking seriously” the father and son's visit in the country as they reconstruct the activities of the pair during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are several establishments the two could have frequented or had meetings in the neighborhood. Many of establishments sit between the hotel where they stayed and a local Jollibee, where they were reported to buy their food.

Police are analyzing surveillance tapes and tracking taxi trips to piece together their itinerary, and that any potential lead are being considered.

Worries in the Region Over Labels

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with extremist groups in 2017, inhabitants are worried that fresh terrorist labels could lead to tighter restrictions and deepen discrimination against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine security agencies must find out what transpired.

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

Manlupig lauded civic actions in improving the peace and order in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that radicalism magically vanished”. He said the country must address economic and social issues and governance challenges that drive the impulses behind the violence while “persist in promoting understanding and avoid prejudice and polarization”.