Disturbing Remembrances Resurface in Davao City as Authorities Track Bondi Shooting Alleged Attackers' Movements

It was the scariest experience of his life. In the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five meters away from a detonation at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The IS assault killed 15, including his brother-in-law. A lengthy siege between the army and the militant group in Marawi came after.

Nine years later, the threat of IS once more hangs over one of the country's major cities, amid international scrutiny over the month-long stay in the city of the alleged Bondi beach shooters, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who makes a living as a massage technician at the night market, saw news of the Bondi incident on the news, but as with other locals surveyed, felt mostly removed.

The 2016 attack is a bad memory he is attempting to put behind him. A monument for the 2016 fatalities is placed in a part of the night market, seeming incongruous against the celebratory environment as many people gathered there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Current Probes Amid Christmas Celebrations

Probes regarding the visit to the country of the pair is happening while the mostly Catholic nation is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been lit up by a tall Christmas tree, malls are busy, and children knock on doors to perform Christmas songs.

“I was surprised to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for tourism, not violence,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. The government have made clear the inquiry into their activities is active and the exact reason for their stay is remains uncertain.

Faith in Security History

Lorenzo is also confident that nobody could carry out another act of terror in the city historically governed by the clan of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose legacy – both renowned and infamous – was forged through tightly securing Davao through hardline law and order and anti-drug initiatives. At an entrance of the night market, at least four guards stand searching bags.

The authorities has denied claims that it was a hub for extremists for the accused Bondi shooters. The country has a complicated background of conflict and marginalisation that has seen some local militant factions forge ties with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups remain present, experts say they are small and diminished.

Police Reconstruct Activities

What is clear, said Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two stayed within the city nor underwent military-style training in the country, as was previously alleged.

Law enforcement have said they are “not taking lightly” the father and son's visit in the country as they map out the actions of the pair during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Police say there are numerous locations the two could have frequented or connected with associates in the vicinity. Scores of businesses sit between the GV Hotel and a nearby Jollibee, where they were reported to buy their meals.

Detectives are reviewing CCTV footage and tracking transport records to establish their whereabouts, and that any potential lead are being explored.

Fears in Marawi City Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with IS-linked militants in 2017, inhabitants are anxious that new terrorist labels could lead to heightened securitisation and worsen bias against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine intelligence community must establish what transpired.

Manlupig commended civic actions in improving the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “it is not true that radicalism magically vanished”. He said the country must confront root causes and political factors that motivate the motivations behind the violence while “keep advocating for acceptance and avoid bias and sectarianism”.