🔗 Share this article

This was the scariest time of his life. Back in the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was only five meters away from a bomb explosion at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The ISIS attack claimed 15 lives, including his wife's brother. A lengthy battle between the military and the extremist group in Marawi came after.

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

Nine years later, the threat of IS again looms over one of the country's major cities, amid international scrutiny over the four-week stay in the city of the alleged Bondi beach shooters, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who is a a masseur at the night market, heard about the attack on the media, but as with other residents surveyed, felt largely disconnected.

Even the 2016 bombing is a traumatic event he is trying to move on from. A memorial for the 2016 fatalities sits in a corner of the night market, appearing mismatched amidst the joyful environment as hundreds gathered there for meals, massages and goods.

Current Probes Amid Christmas Preparations

Examinations of the Philippines activities of the pair coincides with the mostly Catholic nation is gearing up for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been decorated with a towering Christmas tree, malls are crowded, and children knock on doors to sing carols.

“I was taken aback to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for sightseeing, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have made clear the probe into their activities is active and the exact reason for their visit is remains unknown.

“It is unfortunate that real concerns are co-opted by radicalism. Regrettably, the story of brutal violence was wrongly attached to the island's identity,” said Karlos Manlupig, executive director of non-governmental organization Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Safety Legacy

Lorenzo is furthermore confident that no one could carry out another act of terror in the city for a long time administered by the political machine of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both famous and notorious – was forged through heavily policing Davao through hardline law and order and drug war campaigns. At one entrance of the night market, at least four guards stand searching bags.

The authorities has pushed back against claims that it was a terrorist training ground for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of instability and marginalization that has seen some Islamic independence movements establish links with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups still exist, experts say they are limited in size and weakened.

Investigators Piece Together Movements

What is clear, stated Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two stayed within the city nor received combat training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Police have said they are “taking seriously” the duo's visit in the country as they piece together the movements of the suspects during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Investigators say there are numerous locations the two could have frequented or connected with associates in the area. Many of outlets sit between the GV Hotel and a local popular fast food chain, where they were reported to buy their meals.

Officers are examining security camera video and tracking cab rides to piece together their movements, and that every scenario are being considered.

Worries in Marawi Over Labels

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with IS-linked militants in 2017, residents are concerned that fresh accusations of extremism could lead to heightened securitisation and increase discrimination against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, said the Philippine intelligence community must determine what took place.

“[The Akrams’] visit should be properly investigated and the intel should provide accurate and honest answers without transforming doubt into accusations against the region or its people,” he said.

Manlupig praised community efforts in enhancing the peace and order in Davao City but he said “it is not true that radicalism magically vanished”. He said the country must tackle economic and social issues and governance challenges that fuel the reasons behind the violence while “persist in promoting acceptance and avoid discrimination and division”.