MANILA - As many as seven guards at a centre for deportees in Sabah allegedly raped a 13-year-old Filipina before she was sent back to the Philippines, a top justice official said today.

Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said the girl had pointed to pictures of about seven guards as her alleged rapists in the detention.

The rape case as well as other allegations of ill-treatment had sparked popular outrage in the Philippines when Malaysia deported thousands of Filipinos recently as part of a crackdown on illegals.