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This was the most terrifying time of his life. Back in 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a detonation at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The ISIS attack killed 15, among them his brother-in-law. A prolonged battle between the military and the jihadist group in Marawi City followed.

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

Nearly a decade later, the shadow of IS once more hangs over one of the Philippines’ key cities, during worldwide focus over the four-week stay in the city of the suspected Bondi beach shooters, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

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

Even the 2016 blast is a traumatic event he is working to forget. A memorial for the 2016 victims sits in a part of the night market, looking incongruous amidst the celebratory mood as hundreds gathered there for food, massages and goods.

Current Investigations Amid Festive Preparations

Probes regarding the visit to the country of the duo coincides with the mostly Catholic nation is gearing up for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been decorated with a large Christmas tree, malls are packed, and children go door-to-door to perform Christmas songs.

“I was surprised to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for travel, not terrorism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. Officials have made clear the investigation into their activities is active and the exact reason for their stay is as yet uncertain.

“It is simply a shame that real concerns are exploited by terrorism. Regrettably, the narrative of savage attacks was unfairly glued to the region's identity,” noted Karlos Manlupig, head of advocacy group Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Safety Legacy

Lorenzo is also confident that nobody could execute another terror attack in the city long governed by the family of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose legacy – both famous and notorious – was forged through tightly securing Davao through tough anti-crime and anti-drug policies. At an entrance of the night market, at minimum four personnel stand inspecting bags.

The national government has rejected suggestions that it was a terrorist training ground for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of instability and marginalization that has seen some Muslim separatist groups establish links with overseas extremist organizations. But while IS-linked groups persist, experts say they are limited in size and degraded.

Authorities Trace Movements

What is certain, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two did not leave the city nor received combat training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Investigators have said they are “taking seriously” the father and son's presence in the country as they piece together the activities of the pair during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are several places the two could have frequented or connected with associates in the vicinity. Scores of businesses sit between the hotel where they stayed and a close by Jollibee, where they were known to buy their meals.

Detectives are examining CCTV footage and tracking cab rides to reconstruct their movements, and that all possibilities are being explored.

Concerns in Marawi City Over Stigma

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, locals are anxious that new terrorist labels could lead to heightened securitisation and worsen bias against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, said the Philippine security agencies must find out what happened.

“[The Akrams’] stay should be properly investigated and the intelligence should provide transparent and factual answers without converting questions into accusations against its people or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig praised community efforts in enhancing the peace and order in Davao City but he said “that does not imply that terrorism was eradicated”. He said the country must tackle root causes and governance challenges that drive the impulses behind the violence while “persist in promoting acceptance and prevent discrimination and sectarianism”.