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This was the most frightening time of his existence. Back in September 2016, Gerry Pendon was only five meters away from a detonation at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The Islamic State attack killed 15, among them his wife's brother. A five-month conflict between the military and the jihadist group in the city of Marawi followed.

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

Years later, the threat of IS reappears over one of the nation's key cities, during worldwide focus over the four-week stay in the city of the alleged Bondi beach shooters, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who makes a living as a massage therapist at the night market, saw news of Bondi on the television, but as with other residents surveyed, felt predominantly disconnected.

The 2016 bombing is a bad memory he is working to forget. A memorial for the 2016 fatalities is placed in a section of the night market, seeming mismatched amid the joyful environment as hundreds gathered there for food, massages and goods.

Current Probes Amid Holiday Celebrations

Examinations of the visit to the country of the duo is happening while the mostly Catholic nation is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been lit up by a towering 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 tourism, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. The government have made clear the investigation into their whereabouts is active and the precise reason for their visit is still unclear.

“It is just unfortunate that real concerns are exploited by extremism. Unfortunately, the reputation of extreme conflict was unfairly glued to the region's character,” stated Karlos Manlupig, executive director of non-governmental organization Balay Mindanao.

Trust in Policing Record

Lorenzo is also certain that nobody could execute another terror attack in the city for a long time ruled by the family of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both famous and notorious – was built on tightly securing Davao through tough law and order and drug war policies. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four officers stand searching bags.

The Philippine government has denied claims that it was a base for militant training for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of unrest and disenfranchisement that has seen some local militant factions establish links with international jihadist groups. But while IS-linked groups remain present, security officials say they are limited in size and diminished.

Authorities Piece Together Movements

What is evident, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two did not leave the city nor received weapons training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

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

Police say there are several establishments the two could have gone to or met contacts in the neighborhood. Dozens of businesses sit between the hotel where they stayed and a nearby popular fast food chain, where they were understood to buy their meals.

Detectives are examining CCTV footage and tracing taxi trips to piece together their movements, and that any potential lead are being considered.

Fears in Marawi Over Labels

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, inhabitants are concerned that new associations with terrorism could lead to increased security measures and worsen prejudice against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the university in Marawi City, said the Philippine security agencies must determine what transpired.

“[The Akrams’] visit should be thoroughly examined and the intel should provide transparent and factual answers without turning uncertainty into finger-pointing against its people or its people,” Andullah said.

Manlupig lauded community efforts in improving the peace and order in Davao City but he said “it is not true that terrorism was eradicated”. He said the country must confront root causes and governance challenges that fuel the impulses behind the unrest while “continue pushing for tolerance and prevent discrimination and sectarianism”.