MANILA - Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno believes kidnapped Irish priest Father Michael Sinnott won't suffer the fate of a beheaded school principal in Sulu province.

"In the case of Father Sinnott, the fact that there have been higher level discussions [with the kidnappers] might make a difference. This one, I think, is different," Puno told reporters on Tuesday at a press briefing in Zamboanga.

Puno was comparing the Irish priest's case to that of Gabriel Canizares, principal of Kanague Elementary School in Patikul town, whose head was dumped by his kidnappers beside a gasoline station in downtown Jolo on Monday.

Sulu Govenor Abdusakur Tan told reporters during the same briefing that Canizares's case was handled by municipal officials down to the barangay level. He said the negotiators' refusal to give in to the kidnappers' ransom demand led to the school principal's beheading.

The interior secretary said he has ordered "aggressive" pursuit operations against the group responsible for the teacher's beheading.

The military said the teacher's kidnappers were led by a certain Basaron Arug, who allegedly leads an Abu Sayyaf sub-group in Patikul town.

Puno assured that the kidnappers of Father Sinnott do not resort to beheading. He maintained his earlier accusation that the Irish priest is being held by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which is engaged in peace talks with the government.

The secretary said additional troops have been deployed to pursue the kidnappers of the Irish priest. Authorities believe that the priest is being held at the tri-boundaries of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte and Zamboanga del Norte.

The kidnappers have reportedly demanded for $2-million in exchange for the Irish priest's freedom.

Still no response from MILF

Meanwhile, Puno said the MILF Central Committee has remained unresponsive to the government's request for them to surface their members suspected of having involvement in the priest's kidnapping.

"Basically, they have not responded to [our request to surface the suspects], which is sad," he said.

Puno has named MILF 113th Base Command leader Aloy Al Asree as the mastermind in the priest's kidnapping. The MILF leadership had insisted that the Moro commander was not in any way involved in the kidnapping.

The separatist group clarified that Al Asree was the one tasked by the leadership to work for the rescue of the Irish priest.

More kidnappings

Meanwhile, Puno said joint teams from the military and the police were pursuing an armed group that kidnapped three employees of a plywood plant in Maluso, Basilan past midnight Tuesday.

He said police and military intelligence units already have information on the group that carried out the kidnapping, but declined to name the suspects.

"I believe there is information already on the group responsible in Basilan. The nature of kidnapping is indicative of the type of group that carried it out," Puno said.

Rear Admiral Alexander Pama, chief of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao command, said the military is already validating the information.

He said pursuit operations are ongoing against the kidnappers.

The gunmen snatched Chinese Filipino caretakers Michal Tan, 27; Oscar Lu, 51; and, Mark Singson from the Hitech Plywood Plant at Sitio Butong, Barangay Townsite around 12:10 a.m..

Provincial police chief Abubakar Tulawie said the gunmen entered the plant by destroying its wooden fence. He said the kidnappers were wearing camouflage uniforms.

Authorities said the armed group ran towards the highly forested village of Mahayahay.

Puno said the latest kidnapping in Basilan caught authorities by surprise because several months have passed without a single incident in the province.

He said local authorities in kidnapping-prone areas in Mindanao have started implementing measures to lessen kidnapping incidents in the region.

"I would like to think in the future, there will visible changes in the way the government is responding [to kidnappings in Mindanao]. I see fewer kidnappings in the future," he said.