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It was the most frightening time of his life. Back in 2016, Gerry Pendon was only five metres away from a detonation at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The ISIS assault left 15 dead, including his brother-in-law. A lengthy battle between the armed forces and the jihadist group in the city of Marawi ensued.

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

Nine years later, the specter of IS again looms over one of the country's key cities, amid international scrutiny over the month-long stay in the city of the alleged Bondi suspects, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who is a a massage technician at the night market, heard about the attack on the news, but like other citizens surveyed, felt largely disconnected.

Even the 2016 attack is a traumatic event he is working to forget. A memorial for the 2016 victims sits in a corner of the night market, seeming out of place amidst the joyful environment as hundreds came there for food, massages and souvenirs.

Active Investigations Amid Christmas Cheer

Examinations of the visit to the country of the father and son coincides with the mostly Catholic nation is gearing up for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been decorated with a large Christmas tree, shopping centers are busy, and children go door-to-door to sing carols.

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

“It is simply a shame that real concerns are co-opted by extremism. Unfortunately, the reputation of brutal violence was wrongly attached to Mindanao’s character,” stated Karlos Manlupig, executive director of advocacy group Balay Mindanao.

Faith in Safety History

Lorenzo is furthermore certain that no one could carry out another act of terror in the city for a long time governed by the political machine of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose legacy – both famous and infamous – was forged through heavily policing Davao through strict anti-crime and drug war initiatives. At an entrance of the night market, at least four guards stand checking bags.

The Philippine government has denied allegations that it was a terrorist training ground for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of instability and disenfranchisement that has seen some Muslim separatist groups establish links with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups persist, security officials say they are small and diminished.

Authorities Reconstruct Movements

What is clear, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two did not leave the city nor received weapons training in the country, as was previously alleged.

Investigators have said they are “taking seriously” the duo's presence in the country as they piece together the actions of the pair during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are numerous locations the two could have visited or met contacts in the neighborhood. Scores of outlets sit between the their accommodation and a local restaurant, where they were known to buy their food.

Detectives are examining CCTV footage and tracing cab rides to piece together their movements, and that all possibilities are being considered.

Concerns in Marawi City Over Labels

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with IS-linked militants in 2017, inhabitants are anxious that fresh associations with terrorism could lead to tighter restrictions and deepen discrimination against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a professor at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, said the Philippine investigative bodies must establish what transpired.

“[The Akrams’] visit should be carefully probed and the intel should provide accurate and honest answers without turning uncertainty into finger-pointing against Mindanao or its people,” Andullah said.

Manlupig praised civic actions in strengthening the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “it is not true that extremism simply disappeared”. He said the country must address economic and social issues and political factors that drive the impulses behind the violence while “keep advocating for tolerance and avoid bias and polarization”.