🔗 Share this article

It was the scariest experience of his existence. In September 2016, Gerry Pendon was a mere five metres away from a blast at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The IS strike left 15 dead, among them his wife's brother. A lengthy battle between the army and the extremist group in the city of Marawi followed.

“It cannot take place again in Davao,” Pendon asserts.

Years later, the specter of IS once more hangs over one of the Philippines’ largest cities, during worldwide focus over the four-week stay in the city of the suspected Bondi attackers, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who makes a living as a massage therapist at the night market, learned of Bondi on the news, but as with other locals interviewed, felt predominantly disconnected.

The 2016 attack is a painful recollection he is working to forget. A memorial for the 2016 deaths is placed in a section of the night market, seeming mismatched amidst the joyful mood as many people gathered there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Current Probes Amid Christmas Cheer

Investigations into the visit to the country of the pair comes as the predominantly Catholic country is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been lit up by a large Christmas tree, shopping centers are busy, and children go door-to-door to sing carols.

“I was taken aback to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for travel, not terrorism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have made clear the inquiry into their whereabouts is continuing and the true reason for their visit is remains unclear.

“It is simply regrettable that valid issues are exploited by extremism. Unfortunately, the narrative of extreme conflict was unfairly glued to the island's image,” noted Karlos Manlupig, executive director of non-governmental organization Balay Mindanao.

Faith in Security Record

Lorenzo is furthermore certain that no one could perpetrate another terrorist strike in the city historically ruled by the family of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose legacy – both famous and infamous – was built on aggressively securitising Davao through hardline anti-crime and anti-drug campaigns. At one entrance of the night market, at least four personnel stand searching bags.

The Philippine government has pushed back against claims that it was a base for militant training for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of unrest and marginalisation that has seen some Muslim separatist groups forge ties with overseas extremist organizations. But while IS-linked groups still exist, authorities say they are small and degraded.

Authorities Trace Whereabouts

What is clear, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two did not leave the city nor underwent combat training in the country, as was previously alleged.

Police have said they are “treating with gravity” the pair’s presence in the country as they piece together the activities of the pair during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Investigators say there are several locations the two could have gone to or connected with associates in the neighborhood. Scores of outlets sit between the their accommodation and a nearby restaurant, where they were understood to buy their food.

Officers are analyzing CCTV footage and following cab rides to establish their itinerary, and that all possibilities are being explored.

Worries in Marawi Over Stigma

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with IS-linked militants in 2017, locals are worried that new accusations of extremism could lead to heightened securitisation and deepen discrimination against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a academic at the university in Marawi City, said the Philippine intelligence community must establish what took place.

“[The Akrams’] visit should be properly investigated and the intel should provide clear and truthful answers without converting questions into finger-pointing against its people or its people,” he said.

Manlupig lauded community efforts in improving the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “that does not imply that extremism magically vanished”. He said the country must confront socioeconomic factors and political factors that motivate the motivations behind the unrest while “persist in promoting acceptance and steer clear of discrimination and polarization”.