Philippine churches to ring bells to protest drug killings

Philippine churches to ring bells to protest drug killings

Jomari (only one name given), a neighbour and friend of slain Kian Loyd Delos Santos, refuses to leave the wake of his friend  on Friday in Caloocan city north of Manila, Philippines. Kian Loyd, a 17-year-old Grade 11 student, was killed on Wednesday allegedly in a shootout with police. The killing of Kian has sparked protests and condemnation from concerned citizens. (AP Photo)
Jomari (only one name given), a neighbour and friend of slain Kian Loyd Delos Santos, refuses to leave the wake of his friend on Friday in Caloocan city north of Manila, Philippines. Kian Loyd, a 17-year-old Grade 11 student, was killed on Wednesday allegedly in a shootout with police. The killing of Kian has sparked protests and condemnation from concerned citizens. (AP Photo)

MANILA -- A leader of the dominant Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines has ordered bells to be tolled every night for three months in a northern region to raise alarm over a renewed police crackdown that has left more than 80 drug and crime suspects dead in just a week.

Archbishop Socrates Villegas says church bells will be rung for 15 minutes across his northern religious district starting Tuesday to rouse a citizenry “which has become a coward in expressing anger against evil”.

The church move adds to a growing outcry after more than 80 suspects were gunned down by police in metropolitan Manila and nearby Bulacan province in just three days last week, the bloodiest under President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal crackdown.

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