That was the most terrifying moment of his life. During 2016, Gerry Pendon was a mere five meters away from a blast at the night market in Roxas in Davao City. The IS strike killed 15, among them his brother-in-law. A prolonged siege between the armed forces and the extremist group in the city of Marawi ensued.
“It won’t occur again in Davao,” Pendon says.
Years later, the shadow of IS reappears over one of the country's key cities, amid international scrutiny over the four-week stay in the city of the alleged Bondi beach shooters, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.
Pendon, who works as a massage technician at the night market, saw news of the Bondi incident on the television, but as with other citizens spoken to, felt largely disconnected.
Even the 2016 blast is a bad memory he is working to forget. A remembrance marker for the 2016 fatalities stands in a corner of the night market, appearing mismatched against the festive mood as many people gathered there for food, massages and trinkets.
Current Investigations Amid Christmas Celebrations
Probes regarding the visit to the country of the duo is happening while the predominantly Catholic country is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s city hall has been lit up by a tall Christmas tree, shopping centers are packed, and children knock on doors to perform Christmas songs.
“I was taken aback to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for sightseeing, not violence,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. The government have made clear the investigation into their whereabouts is ongoing and the exact reason for their stay is remains unknown.
“It is just unfortunate that real concerns are co-opted by radicalism. Regrettably, the story of extreme conflict was unfairly glued to Mindanao’s character,” stated Karlos Manlupig, head of non-governmental organization Balay Mindanao.
Faith in Policing Record
Lorenzo is furthermore assured that nobody could execute another terror attack in the city historically ruled by the family of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose legacy – both notable and notorious – was built on tightly securing Davao through hardline law and order and drug war initiatives. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four personnel stand checking bags.
The national government has denied suggestions that it was a base for militant training for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of instability and marginalisation that has seen some local militant factions forge ties with international jihadist groups. But while IS-linked groups persist, authorities say they are limited in size and degraded.
Investigators Reconstruct Activities
What is evident, commented Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two did not leave the city nor obtained weapons training in the country, as was initially suggested.
Law enforcement have said they are “not taking lightly” the pair’s visit in the country as they piece together the movements of the pair during their four-week stay in Davao City.
Authorities say there are several establishments the two could have visited or had meetings in the area. Dozens of businesses sit between the their accommodation and a close by restaurant, where they were understood to buy their food.
Detectives are analyzing CCTV footage and following cab rides to piece together their whereabouts, and that every scenario are being entertained.
Worries in Marawi City Over Stigma
In Marawi, the site of fierce battles with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, inhabitants are concerned that new accusations of extremism could lead to tighter restrictions and worsen discrimination against Muslims.
Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, said the Philippine intelligence community must determine what happened.
“[The Akrams’] time here should be carefully probed and the intel should provide accurate and honest answers without turning uncertainty into accusations against the region or its people,” Andullah said.
Manlupig praised civic actions in improving the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that extremism magically vanished”. He said the country must tackle socioeconomic factors and political factors that motivate the impulses behind the unrest while “persist in promoting tolerance and prevent discrimination and division”.
