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This was the most terrifying moment of his life. Back in the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five meters away from a bomb explosion at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The ISIS strike left 15 dead, among them his brother-in-law. A five-month conflict between the armed forces and the militant group in the city of Marawi came after.

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

Nearly a decade later, the shadow of IS once more hangs over one of the nation's major cities, amid international scrutiny over the month-long stay in the city of the suspected Bondi suspects, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who makes a living as a massage therapist at the night market, heard about Bondi on the news, but as with other residents surveyed, felt mostly disconnected.

Even the 2016 blast is a bad memory he is attempting to put behind him. A monument for the 2016 fatalities is placed in a corner of the night market, looking incongruous against the celebratory environment as crowds came there for meals, massages and trinkets.

Current Inquiries Amid Festive Preparations

Examinations of the visit to the country of the duo coincides with the mostly Catholic country is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been lit up by a tall Christmas tree, shopping centers are packed, and children go door-to-door to perform Christmas songs.

“It surprised me 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. Authorities have stated the investigation into their activities is continuing and the exact reason for their visit is as yet uncertain.

“It is simply a shame that legitimate grievances are exploited by radicalism. Regrettably, the story of savage attacks was incorrectly tied to the region's character,” said Karlos Manlupig, executive director of non-governmental organization Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Policing Record

Lorenzo is furthermore certain that no one could perpetrate another terrorist strike in the city historically governed by the clan of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both notable and notorious – was forged through aggressively securitising Davao through strict anti-crime and drug war initiatives. At an entrance of the night market, at minimum four officers stand searching bags.

The authorities has pushed back against suggestions that it was a base for militant training for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of instability and marginalisation that has seen some local militant factions establish links with international jihadist groups. But while IS-linked groups remain present, authorities say they are limited in size and weakened.

Authorities Reconstruct Whereabouts

What is certain, stated Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two stayed within the city nor underwent combat training in the country, as was previously alleged.

Law enforcement have said they are “not taking lightly” the duo's visit in the country as they reconstruct the movements of the suspects during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Investigators say there are numerous places the two could have gone to or had meetings in the area. Many of businesses sit between the GV Hotel and a local popular fast food chain, where they were understood to buy their food.

Officers are examining CCTV footage and tracking taxi trips to piece together their whereabouts, and that all possibilities are being explored.

Concerns in Marawi Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with IS-linked militants in 2017, inhabitants are anxious that new associations with terrorism could lead to heightened securitisation and worsen prejudice against Muslims.

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

“[The Akrams’] visit should be properly investigated and the information should provide transparent and factual answers without turning uncertainty into blame against the region or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig praised civic actions in improving the peace and order in Davao City but he said “it is not true that terrorism simply disappeared”. He said the country must tackle socioeconomic factors and governance challenges that motivate the motivations behind the conflict while “keep advocating for understanding and steer clear of bias and division”.