MANILA - Investigators from Kuala Lumpur arrived in the Philippines on today to interview a 13-year-old Filipina girl allegedly raped at a detention center for illegal immigrants in Sabah.

Sources at the Manila airport said the three investigators came aboard a Malaysian Airlines flight. They were taken to a restricted area of the airport and whisked away by Filipino counterparts.

At least two of the Malaysians are police officers while one of them is believed to be a lawyer.

Crackdown on illegals

The Malaysians are scheduled to interview the girl who claims she was raped before she was deported to the Philippines along with hundreds of other Filipinos as part of a Malaysian crackdown against illegals.

Press reports here say that she was raped by a Malaysian police officer.

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo had written to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad asking him to act on the case. Mahathir pledged a swift response and dispatched the investigators.

The rape allegations sparked anger in the Philippines as Malaysia deported thousands of Filipinos who had been living illegally in Sabah.

Officials in the Philippines have alleged that at least three children have died during the recent deportation of some 12,000 Filipinos. AFP