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That was the most frightening experience of his life. Back in the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a blast at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The ISIS assault claimed 15 lives, among them his wife's brother. A prolonged siege between the military and the jihadist group in the city of Marawi ensued.

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

Years later, the threat of IS again looms over one of the Philippines’ major cities, during worldwide focus over the four-week stay in the city of the alleged Bondi beach shooters, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who is a a masseur at the night market, heard about the Bondi incident on the news, but as with other citizens surveyed, felt largely disconnected.

Even the 2016 attack is a traumatic event he is attempting to put behind him. A memorial for the 2016 fatalities stands in a part of the night market, appearing out of place amidst the celebratory atmosphere as crowds flocked there for food, massages and goods.

Ongoing Inquiries Amid Holiday Celebrations

Probes regarding the visit to the country of the father and son is happening while the mostly Catholic nation is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s municipal hall has been adorned with a tall Christmas tree, shopping centers are packed, 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 extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. Officials have emphasized the inquiry into their activities is continuing and the precise reason for their stay is remains unclear.

“It is just regrettable that real concerns are hijacked by radicalism. Sadly, the narrative of savage attacks was unfairly glued to the island's character,” noted Karlos Manlupig, leader of non-governmental organization Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Policing Record

Lorenzo is furthermore confident that nobody could carry out another terror attack in the city for a long time governed by the clan of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both famous and infamous – was built on tightly securing Davao through tough anti-crime and drug war policies. At one entrance of the night market, at least four guards stand inspecting bags.

The national government has pushed back against claims that it was a base for militant training for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a complicated background of conflict and marginalization that has seen some Islamic independence movements establish links with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups persist, experts say they are small and weakened.

Authorities Reconstruct Activities

What is evident, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two did not leave the city nor obtained military-style training in the country, as was previously alleged.

Law enforcement have said they are “taking seriously” the pair’s presence in the country as they reconstruct the activities of the pair during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Investigators say there are many places the two could have gone to or met contacts in the vicinity. Scores of establishments sit between the GV Hotel and a nearby Jollibee, where they were reported to buy their meals.

Detectives are analyzing surveillance tapes and tracing transport records to piece together their whereabouts, and that all possibilities are being entertained.

Worries in Marawi City Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of a major conflict with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, inhabitants are anxious that new associations with terrorism could lead to increased security measures and increase bias against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine intelligence community must establish what transpired.

“[The Akrams’] time here should be thoroughly examined and the intel should provide clear and truthful answers without turning uncertainty into accusations against Mindanao or its people,” he said.

Manlupig lauded civic actions in strengthening the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that terrorism was eradicated”. He said the country must address socioeconomic factors and governance challenges that motivate the reasons behind the violence while “keep advocating for understanding and prevent bias and polarization”.