🔗 Share this article

That was the scariest moment of his life. In 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a blast at the night market in Roxas in Davao City. The IS attack left 15 dead, among them his brother-in-law. A five-month conflict between the military and the extremist group in Marawi City came after.

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

Years later, the specter of IS once more hangs over one of the nation's largest cities, amidst worldwide focus over the four-week stay in the city of the accused Bondi suspects, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who works as a massage technician at the night market, learned of the Bondi incident on the media, but like other locals surveyed, felt mostly disconnected.

Even the 2016 blast is a bad memory he is trying to move on from. A monument for the 2016 deaths stands in a part of the night market, looking out of place amidst the festive environment as many people gathered there for food, massages and trinkets.

Current Probes Amid Christmas Cheer

Probes regarding the Philippines activities of the father and son comes as the mostly Catholic country is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been lit up by a tall Christmas tree, shopping centers are busy, 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 sightseeing, not terrorism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have emphasized the investigation into their actions is continuing and the exact reason for their visit is still uncertain.

“It is regrettable that valid issues are hijacked by extremism. Regrettably, the story of savage attacks was unfairly glued to the island's image,” said Karlos Manlupig, leader of non-governmental organization Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Policing Record

Lorenzo is furthermore confident that no one could execute another act of terror in the city long administered by the clan of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both notable and infamous – was built on heavily policing Davao through hardline anti-crime and drug war initiatives. At an entrance of the night market, at minimum four personnel stand checking bags.

The Philippine government has rejected claims that it was a base for militant training for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of instability and disenfranchisement that has seen some Islamic independence movements forge ties with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups remain present, security officials say they are limited in size and weakened.

Investigators Piece Together Movements

What is evident, stated Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two stayed within the city nor underwent military-style training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Law enforcement have said they are “taking seriously” the duo's stay in the country as they map out the movements of the suspects during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are many places the two could have gone to or connected with associates in the area. Many of businesses sit between the hotel where they stayed and a nearby Jollibee, where they were understood to buy their meals.

Detectives are examining surveillance tapes and tracing transport records to reconstruct their whereabouts, and that every scenario are being entertained.

Concerns in the Region Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with IS-linked militants in 2017, locals are worried that renewed accusations of extremism could lead to heightened securitisation and deepen prejudice against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a professor at the university in Marawi City, said the Philippine security agencies must find out what happened.

“[The Akrams’] stay should be thoroughly examined and the intelligence should provide clear and truthful answers without converting questions into accusations against the region or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig lauded local initiatives in improving the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that radicalism simply disappeared”. He said the country must tackle root causes and governance challenges that drive the reasons behind the conflict while “persist in promoting tolerance and steer clear of discrimination and sectarianism”.