Disturbing Recollections Resurface in Davao City as Investigators Piece Together Bondi Shooting Suspects’ Activities

That was the scariest time of his existence. In the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was only five meters away from a blast at the night market in Roxas in Davao City. The IS strike left 15 dead, among them his wife's brother. A lengthy siege between the army and the militant group in Marawi City ensued.

Nine years later, the shadow of IS again looms over one of the Philippines’ major cities, amidst international scrutiny over the four-week stay in the city of the accused Bondi beach shooters, the Akrams, father and son.

Pendon, who makes a living as a masseur at the night market, heard about the attack on the television, but similar to other citizens surveyed, felt largely removed.

The 2016 blast is a painful recollection he is working to forget. A memorial for the 2016 victims is placed in a part of the night market, seeming incongruous amid the festive environment as crowds came there for meals, massages and goods.

Ongoing Inquiries Amid Festive Celebrations

Investigations into the time in the Philippines of the pair is happening while the mostly Catholic nation is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s government center has been decorated with a tall Christmas tree, malls are busy, and children knock on doors to sing carols.

“I was surprised to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for tourism, not terrorism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. The government have emphasized the probe into their whereabouts is continuing and the true reason for their visit is as yet uncertain.

Trust in Safety Record

Lorenzo is furthermore certain that no one could carry out another act of terror in the city long administered by the family of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both famous and controversial – was forged through heavily policing Davao through strict anti-crime and drug war initiatives. At an entrance of the night market, at minimum four officers stand checking bags.

The national government has pushed back against claims that it was a base for militant training for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a extensive past of unrest and marginalization that has seen some local militant factions establish links with international jihadist groups. But while IS-linked groups persist, authorities say they are small and weakened.

Police Reconstruct Activities

What is evident, stated Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two never left the city nor received combat training in the country, as was previously alleged.

Investigators have said they are “not taking lightly” the duo's presence in the country as they reconstruct the activities of the suspects during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Authorities say there are several locations the two could have visited or connected with associates in the neighborhood. Many of businesses sit between the hotel where they stayed and a nearby Jollibee, where they were understood to buy their meals.

Officers are examining CCTV footage and tracking cab rides to reconstruct their whereabouts, and that all possibilities are being considered.

Concerns in Marawi Over Bias

In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with extremist groups in 2017, inhabitants are concerned that renewed terrorist labels could lead to heightened securitisation and worsen discrimination against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a academic at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine security agencies must determine what happened.

Manlupig lauded community efforts in improving the security situation in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that radicalism simply disappeared”. He said the country must tackle socioeconomic factors and governance challenges that drive the impulses behind the violence while “keep advocating for tolerance and avoid bias and polarization”.