It was the scariest moment of his life. In September 2016 Gerry Pendon was a mere five metres away from a bomb explosion at the Roxas night market in Davao City. The Islamic State attack killed 15, including his brother-in-law. A five-month battle between the military and the jihadist group in Marawi City followed.
Nine years later, the shadow of IS again looms over one of the Philippines’ major cities, amid international scrutiny over the four-week stay in the city of the alleged Bondi beach shooters, Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed.
