🔗 Share this article

It was the most terrifying moment of his life. During the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five meters away from a bomb explosion at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The Islamic State assault claimed 15 lives, among them his wife's brother. A five-month siege between the armed forces and the jihadist group in Marawi ensued.

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

Nearly a decade later, the shadow of IS again looms over one of the nation's key cities, during international scrutiny over the four-week stay in the city of the suspected Bondi beach shooters, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.

Pendon, who works as a massage therapist at the night market, learned of Bondi on the media, but like other locals spoken to, felt predominantly removed.

The 2016 blast is a painful recollection he is trying to move on from. A memorial for the 2016 deaths stands in a corner of the night market, seeming mismatched amidst the celebratory environment as hundreds came there for food, massages and souvenirs.

Ongoing Investigations Amid Christmas Celebrations

Probes regarding the Philippines activities of the pair is happening while the overwhelmingly Catholic country is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s municipal hall has been decorated with a large Christmas tree, malls are crowded, and children knock on doors to perform Christmas songs.

“It surprised me to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for travel, not violence,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have made clear the probe into their actions is continuing and the true reason for their trip is as yet uncertain.

“It is simply unfortunate that legitimate grievances are hijacked by terrorism. Sadly, the narrative of extreme conflict was incorrectly tied to Mindanao’s identity,” noted Karlos Manlupig, executive director of peace-building NGO Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Safety Legacy

Lorenzo is additionally confident that no one could carry out another act of terror in the city for a long time governed by the clan of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both notable and notorious – was built on heavily policing Davao through tough law and order and drug war initiatives. At one entrance of the night market, at least four personnel stand searching bags.

The authorities has denied claims that it was a hub for extremists for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a complicated background of conflict and marginalisation that has seen some local militant factions establish links with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups still exist, security officials say they are small and diminished.

Police Reconstruct Movements

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

Law enforcement have said they are “treating with gravity” the pair’s presence in the country as they reconstruct the movements of the father and son during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are several establishments the two could have gone to or met contacts in the area. Scores of establishments sit between the hotel where they stayed and a close by Jollibee, where they were known to buy their meals.

Officers are analyzing CCTV footage and tracing cab rides to piece together their movements, and that any potential lead are being considered.

Concerns in the Region Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with extremist groups in 2017, locals are concerned that renewed associations with terrorism could lead to heightened securitisation and deepen prejudice against Muslims.

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

“[The Akrams’] visit should be properly investigated and the information should provide clear and truthful answers without transforming doubt into blame against its people or its people,” Andullah said.

Manlupig commended community efforts in improving the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that terrorism simply disappeared”. He said the country must tackle root causes and political factors that drive the motivations behind the conflict while “keep advocating for tolerance and prevent discrimination and polarization”.