Worrying Recollections Return in Davao as Authorities Trace Bondi Beach Attack Alleged Attackers' Activities
It was the most frightening time of his existence. In the fall of 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five meters away from a blast at the night market in Roxas in Davao City. The IS assault claimed 15 lives, including his brother-in-law. A prolonged siege between the armed forces and the extremist group in the city of Marawi followed.
“It won’t happen again in Davao,” Pendon asserts.
Years later, the specter of IS reappears over one of the nation's key cities, amidst global attention over the month-long stay in the city of the suspected Bondi beach shooters, a father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram.
Pendon, who makes a living as a massage technician at the night market, saw news of Bondi on the television, but as with other citizens spoken to, felt mostly disconnected.
The 2016 attack is a traumatic event he is trying to move on from. A memorial for the 2016 victims is placed in a part of the night market, looking out of place amid the festive mood as hundreds gathered there for food, massages and goods.
Current Inquiries Amid Festive Preparations
Examinations of the Philippines activities of the duo coincides with the predominantly Catholic country is getting ready for Christmas. Davao’s municipal hall has been decorated with a towering Christmas tree, malls are busy, and children go door-to-door to sing carols.
“I was taken aback to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for tourism, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, another a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have stated the inquiry into their actions is ongoing and the exact reason for their visit is remains unknown.
“It is just regrettable that valid issues are hijacked by terrorism. Sadly, the narrative of extreme conflict was unfairly glued to the island's identity,” stated Karlos Manlupig, head of non-governmental organization Balay Mindanao.
Faith in Security Legacy
Lorenzo is furthermore certain that nobody could execute another act of terror in the city historically governed by the family of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose name – both notable and infamous – was established by aggressively securitising Davao through hardline anti-crime and drug war policies. At one entrance of the night market, at least four personnel stand inspecting bags.
The national government has denied allegations that it was a terrorist training ground for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a long history of conflict and marginalization that has seen some local militant factions form alliances with global terrorist networks. But while IS-linked groups persist, security officials say they are small and degraded.
Investigators Piece Together Activities
What is clear, stated Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ top security official, is the two stayed within the city nor underwent military-style training in the country, as was initially suggested.
Investigators have said they are “not taking lightly” the duo's stay in the country as they map out the activities of the suspects during their four-week stay in Davao City.
Police say there are many establishments the two could have visited or met contacts in the vicinity. Dozens of businesses sit between the hotel where they stayed and a nearby Jollibee, where they were understood to buy their food.
Officers are analyzing CCTV footage and tracing transport records to reconstruct their whereabouts, and that all possibilities are being explored.
Concerns in Marawi City Over Labels
In Marawi, the site of intense fighting with IS-linked militants in 2017, residents are anxious that renewed terrorist labels could lead to heightened securitisation and worsen discrimination against Muslims.
Tirmizy Abdullah, a professor at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine security agencies must establish what transpired.
“[The Akrams’] visit should be properly investigated and the intel should provide accurate and honest answers without turning uncertainty into finger-pointing against the region or its people,” Abdullah said.
Manlupig commended 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 confront root causes and governance challenges that motivate the reasons behind the unrest while “persist in promoting tolerance and steer clear of bias and division”.