🔗 Share this article

That was the scariest moment of his life. In 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a detonation at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The Islamic State assault left 15 dead, including his brother-in-law. A prolonged siege between the military and the extremist group in Marawi ensued.

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

Nine years later, the specter of IS reappears over one of the Philippines’ largest cities, during international scrutiny over the 28-day stay in the city of the suspected Bondi suspects, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who makes a living as a masseur at the night market, learned of the attack on the media, but like other residents interviewed, felt predominantly detached.

The 2016 attack is a bad memory he is working to forget. A memorial for the 2016 victims stands in a section of the night market, looking incongruous amidst the celebratory environment as many people gathered there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Ongoing Probes Amid Christmas Celebrations

Probes regarding the time in the Philippines of the duo is happening while the predominantly Catholic country is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been decorated with a tall Christmas tree, shopping centers are busy, and children knock on doors to perform Christmas songs.

“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 emphasized the probe into their whereabouts is continuing and the precise reason for their stay is remains unknown.

“It is simply a shame that real concerns are hijacked by radicalism. Regrettably, the reputation of extreme conflict was unfairly glued to Mindanao’s image,” noted Karlos Manlupig, executive director of advocacy group Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Safety Legacy

Lorenzo is additionally assured that nobody could perpetrate another terrorist strike in the city long governed by the clan of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both famous and controversial – was built on tightly securing Davao through tough law and order and anti-drug initiatives. At an entrance of the night market, at least four personnel stand searching bags.

The Philippine government has denied claims that it was a hub for extremists for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a complicated background of unrest and disenfranchisement that has seen some Muslim separatist groups form alliances with international jihadist groups. But while IS-linked groups remain present, experts say they are small and diminished.

Authorities Piece Together Activities

What is evident, commented Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two did not leave the city nor received military-style training in the country, as was previously alleged.

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

Authorities say there are numerous places the two could have gone to or met contacts in the area. Scores of establishments sit between the GV Hotel and a close by popular fast food chain, where they were understood to buy their meals.

Officers are analyzing surveillance tapes and following taxi trips to establish their itinerary, and that every scenario are being entertained.

Concerns in Marawi Over Stigma

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with IS-linked militants in 2017, locals are concerned that renewed accusations of extremism could lead to tighter restrictions and worsen discrimination against Muslims.

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

“[The Akrams’] stay should be carefully probed and the intelligence should provide transparent and factual answers without transforming doubt into finger-pointing against the region or its people,” Abdullah said.

Manlupig commended local initiatives in strengthening the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that terrorism was eradicated”. He said the country must confront root causes and governance challenges that fuel the impulses behind the conflict while “keep advocating for tolerance and steer clear of discrimination and polarization”.