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It was the most frightening moment of his existence. Back in 2016, Gerry Pendon was a mere five meters away from a blast at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The Islamic State attack left 15 dead, including his brother-in-law. A five-month battle between the army and the jihadist group in Marawi City followed.

“It cannot happen again in Davao,” Pendon says.

Years later, the threat of IS again looms over one of the country's largest cities, during global attention over the four-week stay in the city of the suspected Bondi beach shooters, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who works as a masseur at the night market, saw news of the attack on the news, but like other citizens surveyed, felt predominantly disconnected.

Even the 2016 attack is a traumatic event he is working to forget. A remembrance marker for the 2016 deaths is placed in a corner of the night market, seeming incongruous against the joyful atmosphere as many people flocked there for meals, massages and trinkets.

Ongoing Investigations Amid Holiday Preparations

Probes regarding the visit to the country of the father and son coincides with the predominantly Catholic country is gearing up for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been adorned with a tall Christmas tree, shopping centers are packed, and children go door-to-door to perform Christmas songs.

“It surprised me 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. Authorities have stated the probe into their actions is continuing and the exact reason for their trip is still unknown.

“It is simply a shame that valid issues are exploited by terrorism. Regrettably, the narrative of brutal violence was unfairly glued to the region's character,” noted Karlos Manlupig, head of advocacy group Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Safety History

Lorenzo is furthermore certain that no one could perpetrate another terrorist strike in the city for a long time ruled by the clan of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both notable and notorious – was forged through heavily policing Davao through hardline law and order and anti-drug initiatives. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four officers stand checking bags.

The Philippine government has rejected allegations that it was a terrorist training ground for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of conflict and disenfranchisement that has seen some local militant factions forge ties with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups remain present, authorities say they are limited in size and diminished.

Police Reconstruct Movements

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

Police have said they are “not taking lightly” the pair’s presence in the country as they map out the activities of the suspects during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are numerous establishments the two could have visited or connected with associates in the neighborhood. Scores of businesses sit between the GV Hotel and a local restaurant, where they were understood to buy their meals.

Officers are examining surveillance tapes and following transport records to reconstruct their whereabouts, and that all possibilities are being considered.

Concerns in Marawi Over Stigma

In Marawi, the site of a major conflict with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, inhabitants are worried that fresh associations with terrorism could lead to tighter restrictions and worsen bias against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a professor at the university in Marawi City, said the Philippine security agencies must determine what transpired.

“[The Akrams’] visit should be carefully probed and the intelligence should provide clear and truthful answers without converting questions into finger-pointing against the region or its people,” Andullah said.

Manlupig commended community efforts in improving the security situation in Davao City but he said “it is not true that terrorism magically vanished”. He said the country must address socioeconomic factors and political factors that drive the motivations behind the violence while “persist in promoting understanding and steer clear of discrimination and sectarianism”.