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It was the scariest moment of his life. Back in September 2016, Gerry Pendon was only five meters away from a blast at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The IS attack killed 15, including his wife's brother. A prolonged conflict between the military and the militant group in Marawi City ensued.

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

Nearly a decade later, the shadow of IS reappears over one of the Philippines’ major cities, amidst international scrutiny over the 28-day stay in the city of the alleged Bondi beach shooters, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who works as a masseur at the night market, learned of the attack on the media, but as with other locals spoken to, felt largely detached.

The 2016 attack is a bad memory he is trying to move on from. A remembrance marker for the 2016 victims is placed in a section of the night market, looking out of place amidst the celebratory atmosphere as hundreds gathered there for food, massages and goods.

Active Probes Amid Festive Preparations

Investigations into the Philippines activities of the duo comes as the predominantly Catholic country is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been lit up by a tall Christmas tree, malls are busy, and children go door-to-door to perform Christmas songs.

“I was surprised to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for tourism, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. Officials have emphasized the inquiry into their whereabouts is continuing and the true reason for their stay is as yet unknown.

“It is just a shame that valid issues are co-opted by terrorism. Unfortunately, the narrative of extreme conflict was incorrectly tied to the region's character,” noted Karlos Manlupig, head of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Policing Legacy

Lorenzo is furthermore confident that nobody could execute another terror attack in the city historically administered by the political machine of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both notable and controversial – was established by heavily policing Davao through strict anti-crime and drug war initiatives. At an entrance of the night market, at minimum four guards stand checking bags.

The Philippine government has denied claims that it was a terrorist training ground for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of conflict and marginalisation that has seen some Muslim separatist groups establish links with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups still exist, security officials say they are limited in size and weakened.

Authorities Reconstruct Movements

What is evident, commented Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two did not leave the city nor underwent military-style training in the country, as was initially suggested.

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

Police say there are many locations the two could have frequented or had meetings in the vicinity. Dozens of businesses sit between the hotel where they stayed and a local restaurant, where they were known to buy their meals.

Officers are analyzing CCTV footage and following taxi trips to establish their movements, and that any potential lead are being considered.

Concerns in Marawi City Over Stigma

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with extremist groups in 2017, locals are anxious that new accusations of extremism could lead to tighter restrictions and increase bias against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a academic at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine investigative bodies must find out what took place.

“[The Akrams’] stay should be properly investigated and the intel should provide transparent and factual answers without converting questions into accusations against its people or its people,” Andullah said.

Manlupig commended local initiatives in improving the security situation in Davao City but he said “that does not imply that extremism magically vanished”. He said the country must confront socioeconomic factors and governance challenges that fuel the motivations behind the conflict while “persist in promoting tolerance and steer clear of bias and sectarianism”.