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It was the most terrifying experience of his existence. During the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was only five metres away from a bomb explosion at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The Islamic State attack killed 15, including his brother-in-law. A prolonged conflict between the army and the extremist group in the city of Marawi followed.

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

Nine years later, the shadow of IS again looms over one of the country's major cities, amid worldwide focus over the month-long stay in the city of the alleged Bondi suspects, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who makes a living as a masseur at the night market, heard about the attack on the television, but as with other residents surveyed, felt predominantly disconnected.

The 2016 attack is a bad memory he is trying to move on from. A remembrance marker for the 2016 victims stands in a part of the night market, looking mismatched against the joyful atmosphere as hundreds flocked there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Ongoing Investigations Amid Christmas Preparations

Examinations of the visit to the country of the pair coincides with the overwhelmingly Catholic country is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been adorned with a tall Christmas tree, malls are packed, and children go door-to-door to perform Christmas songs.

“I was taken aback 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. The government have stated the inquiry into their actions is active and the true reason for their visit is still unclear.

“It is simply unfortunate that valid issues are exploited by radicalism. Sadly, the story of brutal violence was wrongly attached to the island's image,” noted Karlos Manlupig, executive director of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Faith in Security Record

Lorenzo is also confident that no one could perpetrate another act of terror in the city historically ruled by the clan of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both famous and controversial – was built on tightly securing Davao through strict anti-crime and anti-drug initiatives. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four personnel stand searching bags.

The national government has rejected suggestions 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 overseas extremist organizations. But while IS-linked groups remain present, experts say they are limited in size and diminished.

Authorities Trace Whereabouts

What is evident, stated Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two did not leave the city nor underwent weapons training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Investigators have said they are “treating with gravity” the pair’s visit in the country as they map out the activities of the suspects during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Police say there are numerous establishments the two could have visited or connected with associates in the area. Dozens of establishments sit between the GV Hotel and a nearby restaurant, where they were known to buy their food.

Officers are analyzing CCTV footage and tracking transport records to piece together their movements, and that all possibilities are being explored.

Worries in the Region Over Stigma

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with extremist groups in 2017, locals are worried that new accusations of extremism could lead to heightened securitisation and deepen bias against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a academic at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, said the Philippine investigative bodies must determine what took place.

“[The Akrams’] visit should be carefully probed and the intel should provide transparent and factual answers without converting questions into accusations against the region or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig praised community efforts in enhancing the security situation in Davao City but he said “it is not true that terrorism simply disappeared”. He said the country must tackle root causes and political factors that drive the motivations behind the violence while “continue pushing for acceptance and steer clear of bias and polarization”.