🔗 Share this article

That was the most frightening experience of his existence. During the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five meters away from a blast at the night market in Roxas in Davao City. The Islamic State attack left 15 dead, including his brother-in-law. A prolonged conflict between the army and the extremist group in the city of Marawi came after.

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

Nearly a decade later, the specter of IS once more hangs over one of the Philippines’ key cities, amid worldwide focus over the four-week stay in the city of the alleged Bondi attackers, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who works as a masseur at the night market, heard about the Bondi incident on the news, but like other citizens spoken to, felt mostly removed.

The 2016 attack is a traumatic event he is working to forget. A memorial for the 2016 fatalities is placed in a section of the night market, seeming mismatched against the festive atmosphere as many people gathered there for meals, massages and goods.

Current Investigations Amid Festive Preparations

Probes regarding the visit to the country of the duo is happening while the overwhelmingly Catholic nation is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been adorned with a towering Christmas tree, malls are busy, 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, also a massage therapist at the market. Officials have emphasized the probe into their actions is ongoing and the true reason for their visit is still uncertain.

“It is simply unfortunate that real concerns are exploited by radicalism. Unfortunately, the narrative of savage attacks was wrongly attached to Mindanao’s character,” noted Karlos Manlupig, executive director of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Policing Record

Lorenzo is additionally confident that nobody could carry out another terror attack in the city historically governed by the political machine of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both renowned and infamous – was forged through heavily policing Davao through tough law and order and drug war policies. At an entrance of the night market, at least four guards stand checking bags.

The national government has rejected suggestions that it was a hub for extremists for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of instability and marginalisation that has seen some local militant factions forge ties with international jihadist groups. But while IS-linked groups still exist, security officials say they are limited in size and diminished.

Police Piece Together Movements

What is evident, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two stayed within the city nor underwent military-style training in the country, as was previously alleged.

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

Police say there are numerous places the two could have visited or met contacts in the vicinity. Scores of outlets sit between the hotel where they stayed and a local restaurant, where they were understood to buy their meals.

Detectives are analyzing security camera video and tracking taxi trips to establish their itinerary, and that every scenario are being considered.

Fears in Marawi City Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of a major conflict with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, residents are concerned that renewed accusations of extremism could lead to increased security measures and increase prejudice against Muslims.

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

“[The Akrams’] time here should be carefully probed and the information should provide accurate and honest answers without turning uncertainty into accusations against the region or its people,” he said.

Manlupig commended local initiatives in enhancing the peace and order in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that extremism was eradicated”. He said the country must tackle root causes and governance challenges that fuel the reasons behind the violence while “keep advocating for acceptance and avoid bias and division”.