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It was the most terrifying experience of his existence. During September 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a bomb explosion at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The IS attack left 15 dead, among them his wife's brother. A lengthy siege between the military and the extremist group in Marawi City ensued.

“It will not happen again in Davao,” Pendon states.

Nine years later, the specter of IS again looms over one of the Philippines’ major cities, amid worldwide focus over the four-week stay in the city of the suspected Bondi attackers, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who makes a living as a massage technician at the night market, heard about Bondi on the news, but as with other citizens surveyed, felt largely detached.

Even the 2016 blast is a painful recollection he is attempting to put behind him. A remembrance marker for the 2016 fatalities stands in a part of the night market, seeming mismatched amidst the joyful environment as many people flocked there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Current Investigations Amid Holiday Preparations

Probes regarding the visit to the country of the pair is happening while the overwhelmingly Catholic nation is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been decorated with a large Christmas tree, shopping centers 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 travel, not violence,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have emphasized the probe into their activities is continuing and the precise reason for their visit is as yet uncertain.

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

Trust in Policing Record

Lorenzo is also assured that nobody could execute another terror attack in the city long ruled by the clan of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both famous and notorious – was established by tightly securing Davao through tough law and order and drug war policies. At an entrance of the night market, at least four guards stand checking bags.

The authorities has pushed back against suggestions that it was a terrorist training ground for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of instability and marginalisation that has seen some local militant factions form alliances with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups remain present, security officials say they are limited in size and diminished.

Investigators Trace Whereabouts

What is clear, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two did not leave the city nor underwent combat training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

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

Police say there are numerous establishments the two could have gone to or had meetings in the vicinity. Scores of outlets sit between the hotel where they stayed and a nearby Jollibee, where they were reported to buy their food.

Officers are analyzing CCTV footage and following transport records to piece together their movements, and that all possibilities are being explored.

Worries in Marawi City Over Labels

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with IS-linked militants in 2017, locals are concerned that fresh terrorist labels could lead to increased security measures and deepen prejudice against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a academic at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine security agencies must determine what happened.

“[The Akrams’] time here should be properly investigated and the intel should provide accurate and honest answers without converting questions into blame against Mindanao or its people,” he said.

Manlupig lauded local initiatives in strengthening the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that terrorism simply disappeared”. He said the country must address economic and social issues and political factors that motivate the impulses behind the violence while “keep advocating for understanding and avoid bias and polarization”.