If we don't kidnap them, the rebels will become stronge

Mayor Sakin Salajin

The three have been held since early last year.

However the mayor's action has been condemned by a military spokesman in the area.

Thousands of Philippine troops are hunting for the guerrillas on mountainous Basilan island where they have the support of the largely Muslim population.

United States special forces are currently holding military exercises on Basilan to upgrade the fighting skills of the local troops.

Bargaining chips

The mayor of Maluso town told reporters that since he started his operation last week his men had seized four wives and four male relatives of Abu Sayyaf leaders to be used as "bargaining power".

"If we don't kidnap them, the rebels will become stronger," Sakin Salajin said.

He also brushed off suggestions of possible human rights violations.

US forces engage in civic actions to try to win local hearts and minds

"Why should we be accused of that when it is Abu Sayyaf who have taken hostages," he said.

However regional military spokesman Major Noel Detoyato criticised the initiative, saying that one bad deed could not be corrected by another.

"We will tell him this is not right," he said.

Abu Sayyaf guerrillas have been holding US missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham and Filipino nurse Ediborah Yap hostage in the jungles of Basilan.

Reuters news agency said the mayor's move parallelled the kidnapping in 2000 by a local vigilante group of the wife and child of an Abu Sayyaf leader after guerrillas seized dozens of schoolchildren and teachers.

The ploy partially worked, with two child hostages being exchanged.