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That was the scariest time of his life. Back in the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was a mere five metres away from a blast at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The Islamic State strike claimed 15 lives, including his brother-in-law. A lengthy battle between the army and the militant group in Marawi City came after.

“It cannot take place again in Davao,” Pendon says.

Years later, the threat 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 suspects, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who is a a massage therapist at the night market, learned of Bondi on the media, but as with other locals spoken to, felt largely detached.

The 2016 blast is a traumatic event he is attempting to put behind him. A remembrance marker for the 2016 deaths is placed in a part of the night market, seeming incongruous against the joyful mood as hundreds came there for food, massages and goods.

Ongoing Probes Amid Christmas Preparations

Probes regarding the time in the Philippines of the pair is happening while the mostly Catholic nation is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been decorated with a towering Christmas tree, malls are crowded, and children go door-to-door to sing carols.

“I was taken aback to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for sightseeing, not terrorism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. Officials have made clear the inquiry into their activities is active and the exact reason for their visit is remains uncertain.

“It is simply unfortunate that valid issues are co-opted by radicalism. Unfortunately, the narrative of savage attacks was unfairly glued to the region's identity,” said Karlos Manlupig, leader of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Safety Legacy

Lorenzo is also confident that nobody could carry out another terrorist strike in the city long administered by the political machine of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both notable and infamous – was built on aggressively securitising Davao through hardline law and order and anti-drug initiatives. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four personnel stand checking bags.

The national government has rejected suggestions that it was a hub for extremists for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of instability and disenfranchisement that has seen some Islamic independence movements form alliances with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups remain present, authorities say they are small and weakened.

Investigators Piece Together Movements

What is evident, stated Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two stayed within the city nor underwent weapons training in the country, as was previously alleged.

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

Police say there are several locations the two could have visited or connected with associates in the neighborhood. Dozens of businesses sit between the GV Hotel and a nearby Jollibee, where they were understood to buy their meals.

Officers are examining surveillance tapes and tracking taxi trips to establish their movements, and that all possibilities are being considered.

Fears in the Region Over Labels

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with IS-linked militants in 2017, residents are anxious that new terrorist labels could lead to heightened securitisation and increase prejudice against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a professor at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine investigative bodies must find out what took place.

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

Manlupig praised civic actions in enhancing the security situation in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that extremism was eradicated”. He said the country must confront economic and social issues and governance challenges that drive the reasons behind the unrest while “continue pushing for tolerance and prevent prejudice and sectarianism”.