GUNMEN believed to be Abu Sayyaf bandits have seized three people, including two Filipino-Chinese, in the island province of Basilan, officials said Tuesday.

The abduction took place several hours after the Abu Sayyaf bandits executed a hostage in the island province of Sulu.

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Major Ramon David Hontiveros, Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) spokesman, said the incident took place at 12:10 a.m. Tuesday in sitio Butong, in the village of Townsite, Maluso.

Hontiveros identified the victims as Michael Tan, 27, Oscar Lu, 51, and Mark Singson.

The victims were seized by 20 gunmen who barged into the compound of Hi-Tech Plywood Factory in sitio Butong, said Hontiveros.

He said the gunmen, dragging along with them the hostages, fled towards the direction of Mahayahay village, also in Maluso town.

Wesmincom troops are hot on trail of the gunmen in a bid to recover soon the victims.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno ordered Tuesday the police to be very aggressive in pursuing the gunmen in coordination with the military forces in Basilan.

"Denying the kidnappers the fruit of their crimes discourages them to commit (crimes) again in the future," Puno told reporters in a press briefing Tuesday.

Tuesday's incident took place several hours after the Abu Sayyaf beheaded Gabriel Canizares, a school principal who was kidnapped last October 19 in Sulu.

Canizares' decapitated head was found inside a sack that was left near a gasoline station around 5 a.m. Monday in downtown Jolo, the capital of Sulu.