Worrying Remembrances Resurface in Davao as Officials Track Bondi Beach Attack Suspects’ Movements

This was the scariest moment of his life. Back in 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five metres away from a bomb explosion at the Roxas evening bazaar in Davao City. The ISIS strike killed 15, including his brother-in-law. A five-month battle between the military and the militant group in Marawi followed.

Nine years later, the shadow of IS once more hangs over one of the nation's major cities, amid worldwide focus over the 28-day stay in the city of the suspected Bondi suspects, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who makes a living as a massage technician at the night market, heard about Bondi on the media, but like other locals surveyed, felt predominantly detached.

The 2016 attack is a bad memory he is working to forget. A monument for the 2016 victims is placed in a part of the night market, seeming incongruous amid the joyful environment as hundreds came there for meals, massages and souvenirs.

Current Investigations Amid Holiday Preparations

Probes regarding the Philippines activities of the pair comes as the predominantly Catholic nation is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s municipal hall has been lit up by a towering Christmas tree, shopping centers are crowded, and children go door-to-door to perform Christmas songs.

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

Trust in Safety Record

Lorenzo is furthermore confident that no one could execute another act of terror in the city historically administered by the family of past leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose legacy – both notable and controversial – was forged through heavily policing Davao through tough anti-crime and anti-drug initiatives. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four personnel stand searching bags.

The authorities has pushed back against claims that it was a base for militant training for the alleged Bondi shooters. The country has a complicated background of unrest and disenfranchisement that has seen some local militant factions forge ties with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups persist, experts say they are small and diminished.

Authorities Piece Together Whereabouts

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

Investigators have said they are “not taking lightly” the pair’s stay in the country as they map out the movements of the father and son during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Investigators say there are several locations the two could have frequented or met contacts in the area. Dozens of businesses sit between the their accommodation and a local restaurant, where they were reported to buy their food.

Officers are examining security camera video and following cab rides to establish their whereabouts, and that all possibilities are being entertained.

Concerns in Marawi City Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with extremist groups in 2017, inhabitants are concerned that renewed associations with terrorism could lead to tighter restrictions and worsen discrimination against Muslims.

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

Manlupig praised local initiatives in improving the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “that does not imply that radicalism was eradicated”. He said the country must address socioeconomic factors and governance challenges that drive the impulses behind the violence while “keep advocating for acceptance and avoid prejudice and sectarianism”.