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It was the most frightening experience of his existence. Back in September 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five meters away from a detonation at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The ISIS strike killed 15, including his brother-in-law. A prolonged battle between the military and the jihadist group in Marawi came after.

“It won’t occur again in Davao,” Pendon asserts.

Years later, the specter of IS reappears over one of the country's key cities, amid international scrutiny over the four-week stay in the city of the alleged Bondi suspects, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who works as a masseur at the night market, saw news of the Bondi incident on the television, but like other locals spoken to, felt predominantly removed.

The 2016 attack is a traumatic event he is working to forget. A monument for the 2016 victims is placed in a part of the night market, looking out of place amid the joyful mood as crowds flocked there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Ongoing Probes Amid Festive Celebrations

Probes regarding the visit to the country of the pair coincides with the predominantly Catholic nation is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s municipal hall has been lit up by a towering Christmas tree, shopping centers are crowded, and children knock on doors to perform Christmas songs.

“I was surprised to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for sightseeing, not violence,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. The government have emphasized the investigation into their whereabouts is ongoing and the true reason for their stay is as yet unknown.

“It is just a shame that valid issues are exploited by extremism. Regrettably, the reputation of savage attacks was incorrectly tied to Mindanao’s character,” said Karlos Manlupig, executive director of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Security Legacy

Lorenzo is additionally certain that nobody could carry out another terror attack in the city long governed by the political machine of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both notable and infamous – was built on tightly securing Davao through tough anti-crime and drug war campaigns. At an entrance of the night market, at minimum four officers stand checking bags.

The authorities has rejected suggestions that it was a terrorist training ground for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a complicated background of unrest and disenfranchisement that has seen some Islamic independence movements forge ties with international jihadist groups. But while IS-linked groups persist, security officials say they are limited in size and degraded.

Police Trace Movements

What is certain, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two never left the city nor received military-style training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Law enforcement have said they are “treating with gravity” the duo's visit in the country as they map out the movements of the suspects during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Investigators say there are several places the two could have frequented or had meetings in the area. Dozens of outlets sit between the their accommodation and a nearby restaurant, where they were reported to buy their meals.

Officers are analyzing security camera video and following transport records to piece together their itinerary, and that every scenario are being explored.

Worries in Marawi City Over Labels

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with IS-linked militants in 2017, residents are anxious that renewed accusations of extremism could lead to increased security measures and deepen bias against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the university in Marawi City, said the Philippine investigative bodies must determine what transpired.

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

Manlupig lauded community efforts in improving the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “it is not true that extremism magically vanished”. He said the country must confront socioeconomic factors and political factors that fuel the motivations behind the unrest while “continue pushing for understanding and steer clear of prejudice and division”.