That was the scariest experience of his life. Back in 2016, Gerry Pendon was only five meters away from a bomb explosion at the night market in Roxas in Davao City. The Islamic State strike claimed 15 lives, including his brother-in-law. A prolonged siege between the armed forces and the extremist group in Marawi came after.
“It won’t take place again in Davao,” Pendon asserts.
Nearly a decade later, the shadow of IS again looms over one of the Philippines’ major cities, amid worldwide focus over the four-week stay in the city of the accused Bondi attackers, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.
Pendon, who makes a living as a massage therapist at the night market, heard about Bondi on the television, but as with other residents spoken to, felt predominantly removed.
The 2016 bombing is a bad memory he is trying to move on from. A remembrance marker for the 2016 deaths stands in a corner of the night market, looking mismatched amidst the festive mood as crowds gathered there for food, massages and trinkets.
Examinations of the time in the Philippines of the pair is happening while the mostly Catholic nation is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been adorned with a tall Christmas tree, malls are packed, 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 violence,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. Officials have emphasized the investigation into their actions is active and the exact reason for their trip is as yet uncertain.
“It is simply regrettable that real concerns are exploited by radicalism. Regrettably, the narrative of extreme conflict was unfairly glued to the island's image,” noted Karlos Manlupig, leader of advocacy group Balay Mindanao.
Lorenzo is also confident that nobody could perpetrate another terrorist strike in the city historically governed by the family of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both renowned and infamous – was forged through tightly securing Davao through tough anti-crime and anti-drug policies. At one entrance of the night market, at least four guards stand inspecting bags.
The Philippine government has rejected claims that it was a hub for extremists for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of instability and disenfranchisement that has seen some Islamic independence movements forge ties with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups remain present, experts say they are limited in size and degraded.
What is certain, stated Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two stayed within the city nor received weapons training in the country, as was earlier claimed.
Police have said they are “not taking lightly” the father and son's presence in the country as they reconstruct the actions of the pair during their month-long stay in Davao City.
Investigators say there are numerous places the two could have frequented or had meetings in the vicinity. Dozens of establishments sit between the their accommodation and a local popular fast food chain, where they were reported to buy their food.
Police are examining security camera video and tracing taxi trips to reconstruct their movements, and that every scenario are being considered.
In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, locals are worried that fresh terrorist labels could lead to tighter restrictions and increase discrimination against Muslims.
Tirmizy Abdullah, a professor at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine intelligence community must find out what took place.
“[The Akrams’] time here should be thoroughly examined and the intel should provide accurate and honest answers without turning uncertainty into finger-pointing against Mindanao or its people,” he said.
Manlupig praised community efforts in enhancing the security situation in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that extremism was eradicated”. He said the country must confront root causes and political factors that motivate the reasons behind the conflict while “persist in promoting acceptance and avoid prejudice and polarization”.
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