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This was the scariest time of his existence. In 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five meters away from a detonation at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The IS strike claimed 15 lives, among them his wife's brother. A lengthy conflict between the army and the jihadist group in Marawi City followed.

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

Nine years later, the specter of IS again looms over one of the nation's major cities, during global attention over the four-week stay in the city of the suspected Bondi attackers, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who is a a masseur at the night market, heard about the attack on the news, but like other residents surveyed, felt predominantly detached.

Even the 2016 blast is a painful recollection he is trying to move on from. A remembrance marker for the 2016 victims stands in a part of the night market, looking out of place amid the celebratory atmosphere as hundreds flocked there for meals, massages and goods.

Ongoing Investigations Amid Christmas Celebrations

Examinations of the visit to the country of the father and son coincides with the mostly Catholic country is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been lit up by a large Christmas tree, malls are crowded, and children knock on doors to sing carols.

“I was taken aback to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for sightseeing, not terrorism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. The government have stated the investigation into their actions is active and the exact reason for their trip is remains uncertain.

“It is unfortunate that real concerns are co-opted by radicalism. Unfortunately, the narrative of extreme conflict was unfairly glued to the region's image,” noted Karlos Manlupig, leader of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Security Record

Lorenzo is furthermore certain that nobody could execute another terror attack in the city historically ruled by the political machine of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both famous and controversial – was established by aggressively securitising Davao through strict law and order and anti-drug campaigns. At an entrance of the night market, at minimum four officers stand inspecting bags.

The national government has denied suggestions that it was a terrorist training ground for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of instability and disenfranchisement that has seen some Islamic independence movements establish links with overseas extremist organizations. But while IS-linked groups still exist, experts say they are limited in size and diminished.

Investigators Trace Whereabouts

What is clear, stated Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two did not leave the city nor obtained weapons training in the country, as was initially suggested.

Police have said they are “treating with gravity” the duo's stay in the country as they piece together the movements of the pair during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are numerous establishments the two could have gone to or connected with associates in the vicinity. Scores of outlets sit between the GV Hotel and a local restaurant, where they were reported to buy their food.

Officers are examining security camera video and tracing cab rides to reconstruct their itinerary, and that all possibilities are being explored.

Fears in Marawi Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, inhabitants are worried that new associations with terrorism could lead to tighter restrictions and deepen bias against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, said the Philippine security agencies must establish what took place.

“[The Akrams’] time here should be carefully probed and the information should provide transparent and factual answers without turning uncertainty into accusations against Mindanao or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig commended community efforts in enhancing the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that radicalism simply disappeared”. He said the country must tackle socioeconomic factors and governance challenges that drive the impulses behind the conflict while “continue pushing for understanding and steer clear of prejudice and sectarianism”.