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This was the most terrifying moment of his life. During the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was only five meters away from a blast at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The Islamic State strike claimed 15 lives, including his wife's brother. A prolonged battle between the military and the extremist group in Marawi City came after.

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

Nearly a decade later, the specter of IS again looms over one of the nation's largest cities, during worldwide focus over the 28-day stay in the city of the accused Bondi beach shooters, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who works as a massage technician at the night market, saw news of the attack on the television, but as with other residents surveyed, felt largely removed.

Even the 2016 attack is a painful recollection he is attempting to put behind him. A memorial for the 2016 deaths stands in a section of the night market, seeming incongruous amidst the festive mood as crowds flocked there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Current Investigations Amid Christmas Celebrations

Investigations into the Philippines activities of the duo comes as the overwhelmingly Catholic country is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been decorated with a tall 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 terrorism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. The government have made clear the probe into their activities is ongoing and the precise reason for their trip is remains uncertain.

“It is just a shame that real concerns are exploited by extremism. Regrettably, the narrative of brutal violence was unfairly glued to the island's character,” said Karlos Manlupig, executive director of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Policing History

Lorenzo is furthermore confident that nobody could execute another terrorist strike in the city long administered by the family of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both notable and controversial – was built on tightly securing Davao through hardline anti-crime and anti-drug policies. At an entrance of the night market, at minimum four guards stand checking bags.

The Philippine government has rejected suggestions that it was a terrorist training ground for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of instability and disenfranchisement that has seen some Islamic independence movements establish links with overseas extremist organizations. But while IS-linked groups still exist, security officials say they are limited in size and diminished.

Police Trace Movements

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

Law enforcement have said they are “taking seriously” the pair’s stay in the country as they reconstruct the movements of the pair during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Police say there are many locations the two could have frequented or met contacts in the vicinity. Dozens of outlets sit between the GV Hotel and a nearby Jollibee, where they were reported to buy their food.

Police are analyzing surveillance tapes and tracing transport records to establish their movements, and that all possibilities are being explored.

Concerns in Marawi City Over Bias

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

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

“[The Akrams’] stay should be carefully probed and the intel should provide accurate and honest answers without turning uncertainty into blame against Mindanao or its people,” he said.

Manlupig lauded community efforts in improving the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “it is not true that extremism was eradicated”. He said the country must address socioeconomic factors and political factors that fuel the reasons behind the unrest while “continue pushing for understanding and steer clear of discrimination and division”.