India elected to UNHRC for the 5th time

Thanks to the support of all our friends @UN, India wins seat to Human Rights Council with highest votes among all candidates.

"They have always raised human rights violations against this administration, but as repeatedly said by the president, he will not allow human rights violations in this country", Panelo said in a Palace press briefing.

But its defenders say it does vital protection work around the world.

Five of the new members were from Africa, five from Asia, two from eastern Europe, three from Latin America and the Caribbean, and three from western Europe.

Photo shows a general view of the 39th UN Council of Human Rights at the UN Offices in Geneva.

For the first time since the council was created in 2006, each voting region agreed in advance on 18 candidates to be in the running for 18 seats - removing any competition. Those countries will join other countries with poor human rights records, such as Cuba, China, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, on the world's top human rights body.

Earlier, an global human rights group has expressed strong opposition to the Philippines' candidacy for the UHNRC, citing the extrajudicial killings in President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug campaign.

The Philippines government has previously dismissed claims of human rights abuses, saying President Duterte had employed "lawful use of force" against threats to the country. Mr Rajab has served several years in prison since playing a leading role in a pro-democracy uprising in 2011.

"Only this year the government of 36-year ruler Paul Biya has been found burning villages in the Anglophone areas of the country, disappearing political opponents, and summarily executing women and children, on film", he said. The government said the allegations were unfounded and one-sided. In June, a spokesman dismissed similar accusations in an Amnesty International report as "filthy lies" meant to destabilise the country.

On the eve of the elections, rights group Human Rights Watch had said United Nations member countries should oppose the candidacies of the Philippines and Eritrea for the Human Rights Council due to their "egregious human rights records".

"This lack of standards continues to undermine the organisation and demonstrates again why the United States was right to withdraw from it earlier this year", she said.

In June, Ms Haley described the council as a "cesspool of political bias" that displayed unending hostility towards Israel - a close USA ally.

The Philippines was granted another three-year term in the council seat after 165 to 192 member-states voted for it, according to Ambassador Teodoro Locsin, Jr. - who is also the incoming DFA chief.

Thirteen other countries representing the other four regions were also elected to the Council.