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It was the most terrifying time of his existence. Back in September 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a detonation at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The ISIS attack killed 15, among them his wife's brother. A lengthy battle between the army and the militant group in Marawi City came after.

“It will not occur again in Davao,” Pendon states.

Years later, the threat of IS again looms over one of the country's key cities, amid international scrutiny over the four-week stay in the city of the accused Bondi attackers, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who is a a massage technician at the night market, saw news of the Bondi incident on the media, but as with other residents interviewed, felt largely removed.

Even the 2016 blast is a painful recollection he is attempting to put behind him. A remembrance marker for the 2016 deaths is placed in a part of the night market, looking out of place amid the celebratory atmosphere as many people came there for meals, massages and trinkets.

Current Probes Amid Festive Preparations

Probes regarding the time in the Philippines of the pair coincides with the overwhelmingly Catholic country is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s municipal hall has been adorned with a tall Christmas tree, malls are busy, and children knock on doors to perform Christmas songs.

“I was taken aback to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for sightseeing, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. Officials have made clear the probe into their activities is continuing and the true reason for their trip is as yet unclear.

“It is simply a shame that real concerns are co-opted by terrorism. Sadly, the reputation of brutal violence was wrongly attached to the region's identity,” noted Karlos Manlupig, leader of advocacy group Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Security Legacy

Lorenzo is furthermore confident that nobody could carry out another act of terror in the city for a long time administered by the clan of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both famous and infamous – was built on heavily policing Davao through tough law and order and drug war campaigns. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four personnel stand checking bags.

The national government has pushed back against suggestions that it was a hub for extremists for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of instability and disenfranchisement that has seen some Islamic independence movements form alliances with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups still exist, security officials say they are small and degraded.

Authorities Piece Together Activities

What is evident, commented Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two did not leave the city nor obtained combat training in the country, as was previously alleged.

Law enforcement have said they are “not taking lightly” the father and son's presence in the country as they map out the activities of the pair during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Police say there are several establishments the two could have visited or connected with associates in the neighborhood. Many of outlets sit between the GV Hotel and a nearby popular fast food chain, where they were reported to buy their meals.

Detectives are reviewing surveillance tapes and following cab rides to reconstruct their movements, and that any potential lead are being explored.

Worries in Marawi Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of a major conflict with IS-linked militants in 2017, locals are concerned that renewed terrorist labels could lead to increased security measures and increase prejudice against Muslims.

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

“[The Akrams’] visit should be properly investigated and the information should provide transparent and factual answers without converting questions into blame against Mindanao or its people,” he said.

Manlupig lauded community efforts in enhancing the security situation in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that terrorism was eradicated”. He said the country must address root causes and governance challenges that motivate the motivations behind the conflict while “continue pushing for tolerance and steer clear of bias and sectarianism”.