🔗 Share this article

This was the most terrifying time of his existence. Back in the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was a mere five metres away from a blast at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The ISIS assault claimed 15 lives, including his wife's brother. A five-month conflict between the armed forces and the jihadist group in Marawi City followed.

“It won’t occur again in Davao,” Pendon says.

Nine years later, the threat of IS again looms over one of the Philippines’ key cities, during international scrutiny over the month-long stay in the city of the alleged Bondi suspects, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who is a a massage technician at the night market, learned of Bondi on the media, but like other locals spoken to, felt predominantly detached.

The 2016 bombing is a traumatic event he is attempting to put behind him. A monument for the 2016 fatalities is placed in a part of the night market, seeming mismatched amidst the celebratory atmosphere as crowds came there for meals, massages and trinkets.

Ongoing Inquiries Amid Holiday Celebrations

Examinations of the visit to the country of the duo coincides with the predominantly Catholic nation is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been lit up by a tall Christmas tree, malls are busy, 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 travel, not terrorism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. The government have made clear the probe into their whereabouts is active and the exact reason for their trip is as yet unknown.

“It is a shame that valid issues are exploited by radicalism. Sadly, the story of savage attacks was unfairly glued to the region's identity,” noted Karlos Manlupig, head of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Security Legacy

Lorenzo is additionally certain that nobody could carry out another act of terror in the city for a long time governed by the political machine of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both famous and notorious – was forged through tightly securing Davao through hardline anti-crime and drug war initiatives. At an entrance of the night market, at least four personnel stand checking bags.

The authorities has pushed back against claims that it was a terrorist training ground for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a complicated background of conflict and marginalization that has seen some local militant factions form alliances with international jihadist groups. But while IS-linked groups still exist, security officials say they are small and diminished.

Police Trace Activities

What is evident, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two did not leave the city nor underwent weapons training in the country, as was initially suggested.

Investigators have said they are “treating with gravity” the father and son's visit in the country as they reconstruct the actions of the pair during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are numerous establishments the two could have gone to or met contacts in the vicinity. Many of businesses sit between the GV Hotel and a nearby restaurant, where they were reported to buy their food.

Police are analyzing CCTV footage and tracing taxi trips to establish their whereabouts, and that any potential lead are being considered.

Worries in Marawi Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of a major conflict with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, residents are concerned that renewed accusations of extremism could lead to heightened securitisation and increase discrimination against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a professor at the university in Marawi City, said the Philippine investigative bodies must determine what transpired.

“[The Akrams’] stay should be carefully probed and the intel should provide clear and truthful answers without transforming doubt into accusations against the region or its people,” Andullah said.

Manlupig praised local initiatives in enhancing the peace and order in Davao City but he said “that does not imply that extremism was eradicated”. He said the country must confront socioeconomic factors and political factors that fuel the impulses behind the unrest while “keep advocating for acceptance and avoid discrimination and sectarianism”.