Malacañang Tuesday upheld the supremacy of the peace process in Mindanao pending an inquiry into the deadly clashes between the military and Abu Sayyaf bandits aided by Muslim separatist rebels in Basilan last week.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita however said the government will consider suspending the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) if there is "conclusive evidence" about its involvement in the recent clashes in Basilan that left 23 soldiers dead.

“At this particular moment, what we must uphold is the supremacy of the peace process. In case of doubt, we are going to follow the path where we should pursue the peace process,” Ermita told reporters in the Palace.

He said the Department of Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines have started an intensive inquiry into the alleged role of the MILF in the bloody Basilan firefight.

“If there is conclusive evidence otherwise then that is something to consider if this is being done by the MILF,” he said.

Ermita admitted that the proposal of Sen. Rodolfo Biazon to indefinitely suspend the peace talks over the alleged participation of the MILF in the Basilan gun battle should be given “concern.”

The military earlier accused the MILF of violating the 2003 ceasefire pact when it provided shelter to the Abu Sayyaf bandits. The Muslim separatist group has denied the allegation.

Ermita refused to concede that the military committed operational lapses that led to the deadly firefight to capture a main camp of the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan. But he said the government will improve its intelligence gathering skills to avoid a repeat of the deadly encounter between the troops and rebels in the south.

“When incidents like this happen, it’s so easy for people really, not to put blame, but also think of certain scenarios which might have happened. Unless you’re on the ground, it’s very difficult,” he said.

Meanwhile, the British government has funded a training program that aims to equip aid workers, particularly in Mindanao, the necessary defenses against kidnap for ransom incidents.

Under the training program, experts from the United Kingdom were commissioned to train aid workers assigned to places with the highest level of threat.

The funding amounted to £22,000, according to the British Embassy.

"Majority of [the kidnap victims] I talked to were never aware of any surveillance," said trainer John Walker, adding that awareness is a critical factor for would-be victims to avoid being kidnapped.

The training, held in Zamboanga City, presented a structured template for an effective and systematic response system for crisis situations such as kidnap incidents.

"Crisis management [means] we not only have to manage the situation, but also be able to resume operations as normal," Walker explained.

"Mindanao remains a priority area for development programs because of its current socio-economic and political conditions. Most of the workers involved in these programs are leaving the comfort of their own homes and spending time away from their families to help people in areas of conflict where their safety is compromised every day. Yet they continue because they know their mission is very important. I hope this training - which has been provided by the same organization that trains members of the UK government for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan - will help committed aid workers keep themselves safe while they work to improve the lives of the people of Mindanao," said British Embassy Political Section head Chris Wright.