President Gloria Arroyo today pledged the Philippine government's help in track unknown gunmen who snatched six Filipino and Indonesian workers from a resort in Sabah last weekend.

Arroyo said in a statement that she had agreed with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to "close ranks" against the kidnappers. Both leaders are attending a Southeast Asian summit in Bali, Indonesia.

"We are treating this as a crime levelled against the Philippines and Malaysia. Filipinos and Malaysians are victims and the incident breaches our common ramparts of security," she added.

Malaysia has ruled out initial suspicions that Filipino Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrillas were involved in Sunday's raid, with police saying it was likely carried out by local criminals or "pirates" seeking ransom.

The Abu Sayyaf has carried out at least two raids for hostages on Malaysian resorts since April 2000.

Cops and inmate killed

Meanwhile, Arroyo pledged tighter security at a Philippines police prison holding top terror suspects following a hostage fiasco on Tuesday that left three policemen and an Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrilla inmate dead.

"Greater discipline and proactive measures are in order," Arroyo said in a statement.

Critics have blamed lax security for an attempted prison break on Tuesday by one of several Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrillas held at the Camp Crame national police headquarters.

Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi, a convicted member of the Jemaah Islamiah regional terror network, escaped with two Abu Sayyaf men from the same prison on July

Interior Secretary Jose Lina said the remaining detainees at the prison would be moved to a more secure facility. He did not give details or timetables.

He said the police would recruit an extra 500 jail guards. - AFP