Pacquiao regrets comparing gays to animals, but stands firm on belief

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao gave a half-hearted apology for speaking out against same-sex marriage earlier this year that sparked a wild outcry from the LGBT community. 

The 37-year-old boxer from General Santos City admitted that he made a mistake by claiming that gay people were “worse than animals,” but he remains firm on his belief.

“Yes, but I’m not changing my position. It’s what the Bible says. But my mistake is just comparing them to animals. I’m just human. Nobody’s perfect,” Pacquiao, now a Philippine senator, said in an interview with TMZ.

Pacquiao’s controversial remark on same-sex union caused him to lose his nearly 8-year sponsorship deal with sports apparel Nike as well as other endorsements. 

Pacquiao was also banned from entering The Grove, a renowned shopping mall in Los Angeles, California. 

But this didn’t make a dent in his political fortunes. He won his senatorial bid in the May 2016 elections with 16,050,546 votes. 

Pacquiao will be stepping into the ring again to challenge Jessie Vargas for the WBO welterweight championship onNovember 5 after briefly calling it a career following his lopsided decision win against Timothy Bradley Jr in April. – Rappler.com