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This was the most terrifying moment of his existence. During 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a blast at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The Islamic State attack killed 15, including his wife's brother. A lengthy battle between the military and the militant group in the city of Marawi followed.

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

Years later, the shadow of IS once more hangs over one of the nation's largest cities, during international scrutiny over the 28-day stay in the city of the suspected Bondi suspects, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who works as a massage technician at the night market, learned of the Bondi incident on the television, but like other citizens interviewed, felt largely detached.

Even the 2016 bombing is a traumatic event he is trying to move on from. A remembrance marker for the 2016 fatalities stands in a section of the night market, looking out of place amid the celebratory environment as hundreds came there for food, massages and trinkets.

Ongoing Inquiries Amid Christmas Celebrations

Investigations into the visit to the country of the duo coincides with the predominantly Catholic nation is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been lit up by a large Christmas tree, malls are busy, and children go door-to-door to perform Christmas songs.

“I was taken aback 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. Officials have stated the inquiry into their whereabouts is ongoing and the true reason for their visit is still uncertain.

“It is regrettable that real concerns are hijacked by radicalism. Sadly, the narrative of extreme conflict was wrongly attached to the island's character,” noted Karlos Manlupig, leader of non-governmental organization Balay Mindanao.

Faith in Policing Legacy

Lorenzo is furthermore confident that nobody could perpetrate another act of terror in the city for a long time governed by the clan of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both renowned and infamous – was built on heavily policing Davao through hardline anti-crime and anti-drug initiatives. At one entrance of the night market, at least four officers stand checking bags.

The authorities has denied claims that it was a hub for extremists for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of conflict and marginalisation that has seen some Muslim separatist groups form alliances with international jihadist groups. But while IS-linked groups still exist, security officials say they are limited in size and degraded.

Investigators Trace Whereabouts

What is clear, commented Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two never left the city nor obtained combat training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Police have said they are “treating with gravity” the father and son's visit in the country as they reconstruct the activities of the pair during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Investigators say there are numerous locations the two could have visited or met contacts in the neighborhood. Dozens of establishments sit between the hotel where they stayed and a nearby popular fast food chain, where they were reported to buy their meals.

Detectives are reviewing surveillance tapes and tracking transport records to establish their whereabouts, and that all possibilities are being entertained.

Worries in Marawi Over Stigma

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, inhabitants are worried that fresh accusations of extremism could lead to tighter restrictions and deepen bias against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, said the Philippine security agencies must find out what happened.

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

Manlupig lauded local initiatives in strengthening the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “that does not imply that extremism simply disappeared”. He said the country must tackle economic and social issues and political factors that drive the reasons behind the violence while “keep advocating for understanding and prevent prejudice and sectarianism”.