🔗 Share this article

This was the scariest experience of his life. Back in 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five meters away from a detonation at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The IS attack claimed 15 lives, among them his brother-in-law. A lengthy conflict between the army and the extremist group in the city of Marawi came after.

“It cannot happen again in Davao,” Pendon says.

Years later, the shadow of IS again looms over one of the country's major cities, during global attention over the four-week stay in the city of the accused Bondi attackers, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who works as a masseur at the night market, heard about Bondi on the news, but as with other locals spoken to, felt largely removed.

The 2016 attack is a traumatic event he is working to forget. A remembrance marker for the 2016 deaths is placed in a section of the night market, seeming incongruous amidst the celebratory mood as many people flocked there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Ongoing Inquiries Amid Holiday Preparations

Investigations into the visit to the country of the father and son comes as the mostly Catholic country is gearing up for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been adorned with a large Christmas tree, malls are crowded, and children go door-to-door to sing carols.

“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. The government have stated the investigation into their activities is active and the true reason for their stay is still unknown.

“It is unfortunate that legitimate grievances are exploited by radicalism. Unfortunately, the story of brutal violence was unfairly glued to the region's image,” noted Karlos Manlupig, leader of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Faith in Safety Legacy

Lorenzo is furthermore confident that nobody could perpetrate another act of terror in the city long ruled by the political machine of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both renowned and notorious – was forged through aggressively securitising Davao through hardline anti-crime and drug war initiatives. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four personnel stand inspecting bags.

The Philippine government has denied suggestions that it was a hub for extremists for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of instability and marginalization that has seen some Islamic independence movements form alliances with overseas extremist organizations. But while IS-linked groups remain present, authorities say they are small and weakened.

Police Piece Together Movements

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

Investigators have said they are “taking seriously” the pair’s stay in the country as they reconstruct the actions of the suspects during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are numerous establishments the two could have frequented or connected with associates in the area. Many of establishments sit between the GV Hotel and a local Jollibee, where they were understood to buy their meals.

Officers are analyzing security camera video and tracking cab rides to establish their whereabouts, and that all possibilities are being entertained.

Concerns in Marawi City Over Stigma

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with extremist groups in 2017, locals are worried that renewed associations with terrorism could lead to tighter restrictions and increase prejudice against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a academic at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, said the Philippine investigative bodies must determine what took place.

“[The Akrams’] time here should be carefully probed and the intelligence should provide accurate and honest answers without turning uncertainty into finger-pointing against its people or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig lauded community efforts in strengthening the security situation in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that extremism simply disappeared”. He said the country must confront root causes and political factors that fuel the motivations behind the conflict while “continue pushing for acceptance and steer clear of bias and polarization”.