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This was the scariest moment of his existence. In September 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five meters away from a bomb explosion at the night market in Roxas in Davao City. The IS strike claimed 15 lives, including his wife's brother. A lengthy siege between the army and the jihadist group in the city of Marawi followed.

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

Years later, the shadow of IS reappears over one of the nation's key cities, during worldwide focus over the month-long stay in the city of the accused Bondi attackers, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who works as a massage technician at the night market, heard about the Bondi incident on the media, but similar to other residents spoken to, felt predominantly removed.

The 2016 bombing is a painful recollection he is working to forget. A memorial for the 2016 deaths is placed in a section of the night market, seeming incongruous amid the celebratory mood as many people gathered there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Active Inquiries Amid Christmas Celebrations

Investigations into the Philippines activities of the father and son coincides with the mostly Catholic country is gearing up for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been lit up by a towering Christmas tree, malls are busy, and children knock on doors to perform Christmas songs.

“It surprised me to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for tourism, not terrorism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. The government have emphasized the probe into their actions is active and the precise reason for their stay is as yet unclear.

“It is just a shame that legitimate grievances are co-opted by radicalism. Sadly, the reputation of savage attacks was incorrectly tied to the island's character,” noted Karlos Manlupig, executive director of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Safety History

Lorenzo is also certain that no one could execute another terrorist strike in the city long governed by the clan of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both renowned and controversial – was built on aggressively securitising Davao through hardline anti-crime and anti-drug campaigns. At an entrance of the night market, at least four officers stand searching bags.

The national government has pushed back against claims that it was a base for militant training for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of unrest and marginalization that has seen some Islamic independence movements forge ties with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups persist, authorities say they are small and diminished.

Police Reconstruct Movements

What is certain, commented Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two did not leave the city nor received military-style training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Law enforcement have said they are “taking seriously” the father and son's visit in the country as they piece together the activities of the father and son during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Investigators say there are many places the two could have gone to or met contacts in the area. Scores of businesses sit between the GV Hotel and a close by popular fast food chain, where they were reported to buy their meals.

Police are reviewing CCTV footage and tracking cab rides to reconstruct their movements, and that any potential lead are being explored.

Concerns in Marawi Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, residents are anxious that fresh associations with terrorism could lead to heightened securitisation and deepen discrimination against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a academic at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine intelligence community must establish what happened.

“[The Akrams’] stay should be thoroughly examined and the intel should provide clear and truthful answers without transforming doubt into accusations against Mindanao or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig commended local initiatives in strengthening the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “that does not imply that radicalism simply disappeared”. He said the country must address root causes and political factors that fuel the motivations behind the conflict while “keep advocating for tolerance and steer clear of bias and polarization”.