Troubling Memories Reemerge in Davao City as Officials Track Bondi Shooting Alleged Attackers' Time in the City

That was the most frightening time of his life. During September 2016, Gerry Pendon was a mere five metres away from a blast at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The IS assault claimed 15 lives, including his wife's brother. A lengthy conflict between the army and the jihadist group in Marawi followed.

Years later, the specter of IS reappears over one of the nation's largest cities, during worldwide focus over the month-long stay in the city of the suspected Bondi attackers, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who is a a masseur at the night market, saw news of the Bondi incident on the news, but like other citizens surveyed, felt predominantly disconnected.

The 2016 attack is a traumatic event he is working to forget. A remembrance marker for the 2016 deaths sits in a corner of the night market, seeming out of place amid the celebratory environment as crowds flocked there for meals, massages and goods.

Current Investigations Amid Holiday Preparations

Investigations into the visit to the country of the pair coincides with the predominantly Catholic nation is gearing up for Christmas. Davao’s municipal hall has been lit up by a large Christmas tree, malls are busy, and children knock on doors to sing carols.

“I was taken aback to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for sightseeing, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have made clear the investigation into their whereabouts is active and the true reason for their stay is still unknown.

Faith in Safety History

Lorenzo is additionally confident that nobody could carry out another act of terror in the city long ruled by the clan of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both famous and notorious – was built on tightly securing Davao through hardline anti-crime and anti-drug policies. At one entrance of the night market, at least four personnel stand checking bags.

The national government has pushed back against claims that it was a hub for extremists for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of instability and disenfranchisement that has seen some Muslim separatist groups forge ties with overseas extremist organizations. But while IS-linked groups persist, security officials say they are small and degraded.

Authorities Reconstruct Whereabouts

What is evident, stated Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two did not leave the city nor underwent weapons training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Law enforcement have said they are “taking seriously” the pair’s stay in the country as they map out the actions of the suspects during their month-long stay in Davao City.

Investigators say there are many establishments the two could have gone to or met contacts in the area. Scores of businesses sit between the GV Hotel and a nearby restaurant, where they were known to buy their meals.

Detectives are examining security camera video and tracing transport records to piece together their whereabouts, and that any potential lead are being entertained.

Worries in Marawi City Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with extremist groups in 2017, residents are anxious that fresh associations with terrorism could lead to heightened securitisation and increase discrimination against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine investigative bodies must determine what took place.

Manlupig commended local initiatives in strengthening 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 governance challenges that drive the impulses behind the unrest while “continue pushing for acceptance and avoid prejudice and polarization”.