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That was the scariest experience of his existence. In 2016, Gerry Pendon was a mere five metres away from a detonation at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The IS strike claimed 15 lives, including his wife's brother. A lengthy battle between the military and the extremist group in the city of Marawi followed.

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

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

Pendon, who is a a massage therapist at the night market, learned of the attack on the news, but similar to other residents surveyed, felt largely disconnected.

The 2016 blast is a painful recollection he is attempting to put behind him. A monument for the 2016 fatalities is placed in a section of the night market, seeming mismatched amidst the joyful atmosphere as crowds gathered there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Current Probes Amid Holiday Cheer

Examinations of the Philippines activities of the father and son is happening while the mostly Catholic country is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s municipal hall has been adorned with a tall Christmas tree, malls are packed, 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 travel, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. Officials have emphasized the probe into their whereabouts is continuing and the precise reason for their trip is remains unclear.

“It is just a shame that real concerns are co-opted by terrorism. Regrettably, the narrative of extreme conflict was incorrectly tied to the island's image,” noted Karlos Manlupig, executive director of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Policing Legacy

Lorenzo is additionally confident that no one could execute another terrorist strike in the city long administered by the clan of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose legacy – both famous and infamous – was established by aggressively securitising Davao through tough anti-crime and drug war campaigns. At one entrance of the night market, at least four personnel stand searching bags.

The authorities has rejected claims that it was a hub for extremists for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of instability and disenfranchisement that has seen some local militant factions establish links with overseas extremist organizations. But while IS-linked groups remain present, authorities say they are limited in size and degraded.

Authorities Reconstruct Whereabouts

What is certain, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two stayed within the city nor underwent military-style training in the country, as was initially suggested.

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

Investigators say there are many locations the two could have gone to or connected with associates in the vicinity. Dozens of establishments sit between the GV Hotel and a close by restaurant, where they were reported to buy their meals.

Officers are reviewing CCTV footage and tracking taxi trips to piece together their movements, and that every scenario are being entertained.

Fears in Marawi City Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with extremist groups in 2017, inhabitants are worried that renewed terrorist labels could lead to heightened securitisation and increase discrimination against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the university in Marawi City, said the Philippine investigative bodies must establish what took place.

“[The Akrams’] time here should be properly investigated and the information should provide transparent and factual answers without transforming doubt into finger-pointing against Mindanao or its people,” he said.

Manlupig commended civic actions in enhancing the security situation in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that terrorism simply disappeared”. He said the country must tackle economic and social issues and political factors that fuel the impulses behind the violence while “continue pushing for acceptance and steer clear of prejudice and division”.