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It was the most terrifying moment of his existence. During the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a blast at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The Islamic State attack killed 15, among them his brother-in-law. A prolonged siege between the military and the jihadist group in the city of Marawi came after.

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

Nine years later, the threat of IS reappears over one of the Philippines’ major cities, during worldwide focus over the four-week stay in the city of the suspected Bondi attackers, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who makes a living as a masseur at the night market, heard about the attack on the television, but like other residents surveyed, felt predominantly detached.

The 2016 bombing is a painful recollection he is attempting to put behind him. A remembrance marker for the 2016 victims sits in a corner of the night market, appearing mismatched against the joyful mood as many people gathered there for meals, massages and goods.

Active Inquiries Amid Christmas Celebrations

Investigations into the time in the Philippines of the father and son is happening while the predominantly Catholic nation is gearing up for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been lit up by a large 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, another a massage therapist at the market. The government have made clear the inquiry into their whereabouts is ongoing and the exact reason for their trip is as yet uncertain.

“It is just a shame that legitimate grievances are exploited by extremism. Sadly, the narrative of extreme conflict was unfairly glued to the region's identity,” noted Karlos Manlupig, executive director of advocacy group Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Security Record

Lorenzo is also confident that nobody could perpetrate another act of terror in the city long administered by the clan of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both renowned and notorious – was established by tightly securing Davao through hardline anti-crime and drug war campaigns. At an entrance of the night market, at minimum four officers stand searching bags.

The national government has denied suggestions that it was a terrorist training ground for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of instability and disenfranchisement that has seen some Muslim separatist groups form alliances with overseas extremist organizations. But while IS-linked groups still exist, experts say they are limited in size and weakened.

Authorities Trace Activities

What is clear, commented Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two did not leave the city nor received combat training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Police have said they are “not taking lightly” the father and son's presence in the country as they piece together the movements of the pair during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Police say there are many places the two could have gone to or met contacts in the area. Many of establishments sit between the GV Hotel and a nearby restaurant, where they were known to buy their food.

Police are reviewing security camera video and following cab rides to reconstruct their whereabouts, and that every scenario are being entertained.

Worries in the Region Over Stigma

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with extremist groups in 2017, locals are anxious that new terrorist labels could lead to tighter restrictions and worsen discrimination against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a academic at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine intelligence community must determine what took place.

“[The Akrams’] stay should be carefully probed and the intelligence should provide clear and truthful answers without transforming doubt into blame against the region or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig commended local initiatives in improving the peace and order in Davao City but he said “it is not true that extremism was eradicated”. He said the country must confront root causes and political factors that fuel the impulses behind the unrest while “persist in promoting tolerance and avoid prejudice and polarization”.