ZAMBOANGA: Philippine police have rescued 80 Filipino women from a suspected human trafficking syndicate that was planning to send them to be maids in Malaysia and the Middle East. Police Superintendent Celso Bael said they stopped the women, who pretended to be tourists, from boarding a chartered flight from the southern city of Zamboanga to Malaysia Thursday. He says that, from Malaysia, some would have been be sent to Libya, Lebanon and Egypt. He says they were recruited from the Philippine capital and nine provinces around the country. The women have been brought to the Social Welfare Department for counseling. Meanwhile, A Philippine radio talk-show host was shot dead in Manila on Thursday, and police said they were investigating if the attack was linked to her show, which airs public complaints about the government's performance. Maria Len Flores Somera, 44, was shot in the back of the head while walking to a bus stop.
