Churches back bid to bar Philippines from UN rights body

Govt deserves expulsion as a result of systematic abuses highlighted by alleged drug war killings

Philippine church leaders are supporting calls to have the country removed from the United Nations Human Rights Council over alleged rights abuses committed by the government.

The Philippine Universal Periodic Review Watch, a group monitoring the U.N. review of the Philippines' human rights performance, has called for the expulsion of the country from the U.N. human rights body.

In a statement on Sept. 30, the group said President Rodrigo Duterte's administration "has exhibited a total mockery of international human rights mechanisms."

It accused the government of "distorting facts" about the killing of at least 12,000 suspected drug-users and dealers since July 2016.

Bishop Felixberto Calang of the Philippine Independent Church said it is "high time" for the international community "to walk the talk" on human rights issues in the country.

The Protestant bishop said the United Nations need to "seriously pressure" the Philippine government "to comply with international human rights covenants."

Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan said the removal of the Philippines from the U.N. rights body should be seen as a "clear consequence of the unceasing extrajudicial killings."

Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga called on countries "to withdraw their support" to the Philippine military and instead help human rights advocacy and protection in the country.

At least 39 U.N. member-countries have already expressed alarm at the "rising climate of impunity" in the Philippines' anti-narcotics war.

They urged the Philippine government "to cooperate with the international community to pursue appropriate investigations" into drug-related killings.

Human Rights Watch said the Philippines was "unwilling to heed the calls to end this murderous campaign and hold those responsible to account."

The group's director John Fisher said the United Nations should "do all that it can to end the violence ... and demand accountability for all unlawful killings."