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This was the scariest time of his existence. In 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five meters away from a detonation at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The IS assault killed 15, including his wife's brother. A five-month conflict between the armed forces and the militant group in the city of Marawi followed.

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

Nearly a decade later, the threat of IS again looms over one of the country's key cities, during international scrutiny over the four-week stay in the city of the suspected Bondi attackers, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who is a a massage technician at the night market, saw news of Bondi on the media, but similar to other locals interviewed, felt largely detached.

Even the 2016 attack is a bad memory he is trying to move on from. A monument for the 2016 victims stands in a corner of the night market, seeming out of place amid the joyful mood as hundreds gathered there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Current Inquiries Amid Christmas Preparations

Examinations of the Philippines activities of the duo comes as the predominantly Catholic country is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been decorated with a towering Christmas tree, shopping centers are packed, and children go door-to-door to perform Christmas songs.

“It surprised me to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for sightseeing, not violence,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have stated the investigation into their activities is ongoing and the true reason for their stay is as yet unknown.

“It is simply a shame that valid issues are hijacked by extremism. Unfortunately, the story of brutal violence was unfairly glued to the island's identity,” said Karlos Manlupig, head of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Security Record

Lorenzo is additionally assured that no one could perpetrate another terror attack in the city historically ruled by the family of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both famous and notorious – was established by tightly securing Davao through tough law and order and drug war initiatives. At one entrance of the night market, at least four personnel stand inspecting bags.

The authorities has denied suggestions that it was a terrorist training ground for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of instability and disenfranchisement that has seen some Muslim separatist groups forge ties with overseas extremist organizations. But while IS-linked groups still exist, experts say they are limited in size and degraded.

Investigators Trace Whereabouts

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

Investigators have said they are “treating with gravity” the pair’s stay in the country as they reconstruct the movements of the pair during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are many locations the two could have gone to or had meetings in the vicinity. Dozens of establishments sit between the GV Hotel and a local Jollibee, where they were understood to buy their food.

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

Fears in the Region Over Stigma

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with extremist groups in 2017, inhabitants are worried that renewed accusations of extremism could lead to increased security measures and deepen prejudice against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine intelligence community must find out what transpired.

“[The Akrams’] stay should be properly investigated and the intel should provide accurate and honest answers without turning uncertainty into finger-pointing against Mindanao or its people,” he said.

Manlupig praised community efforts in strengthening the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “it is not true that extremism was eradicated”. He said the country must tackle economic and social issues and governance challenges that drive the motivations behind the unrest while “continue pushing for understanding and avoid bias and sectarianism”.