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This was the most terrifying experience of his life. During 2016, Gerry Pendon was a mere five meters away from a blast at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The Islamic State strike claimed 15 lives, among them his brother-in-law. A prolonged conflict between the military and the militant group in Marawi ensued.

“It will not take place again in Davao,” Pendon asserts.

Years later, the threat of IS again looms over one of the nation's largest cities, amidst global attention over the month-long stay in the city of the alleged Bondi suspects, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who works as a massage therapist at the night market, saw news of the attack on the television, but as with other citizens surveyed, felt mostly detached.

Even the 2016 attack is a painful recollection he is working to forget. A remembrance marker for the 2016 fatalities is placed in a section of the night market, seeming out of place amidst the joyful mood as crowds came there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Ongoing Investigations Amid Festive Preparations

Examinations of the visit to the country of the duo is happening while the predominantly Catholic nation is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been decorated with a large Christmas tree, shopping centers are busy, 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 travel, not terrorism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. Officials have made clear the probe into their whereabouts is active and the exact reason for their stay is still unclear.

“It is regrettable that valid issues are exploited by extremism. Regrettably, the story of extreme conflict was wrongly attached to the region's identity,” stated Karlos Manlupig, executive director of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Security Legacy

Lorenzo is furthermore assured that no one could execute another terrorist strike in the city historically governed by the family of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both notable and controversial – was forged through tightly securing Davao through hardline anti-crime and anti-drug initiatives. At one entrance of the night market, at least four personnel stand checking bags.

The authorities has pushed back against claims that it was a base for militant training for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of conflict and disenfranchisement that has seen some Muslim separatist groups forge ties with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups still exist, security officials say they are small and degraded.

Investigators Piece Together Movements

What is certain, commented Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two stayed within the city nor received combat training in the country, as was previously alleged.

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

Investigators say there are numerous places the two could have visited or had meetings in the vicinity. Scores of businesses sit between the GV Hotel and a nearby Jollibee, where they were reported to buy their meals.

Police are analyzing security camera video and following transport records to establish their whereabouts, and that all possibilities are being explored.

Concerns in Marawi Over Stigma

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with IS-linked militants in 2017, inhabitants are concerned that new associations with terrorism could lead to heightened securitisation and increase discrimination against Muslims.

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

“[The Akrams’] time here should be carefully probed and the intelligence should provide transparent and factual answers without transforming doubt into accusations against its people or its people,” he said.

Manlupig commended community efforts in improving the peace and order in Davao City but he said “that does not imply that extremism magically vanished”. He said the country must address economic and social issues and governance challenges that fuel the reasons behind the unrest while “continue pushing for understanding and avoid prejudice and sectarianism”.