Philippine Elections: Senate Hopeful, Manny Pacquiao Says 'Gay Couples are Worse than Animals'

Posted by Odinaka on Tue 16th Feb, 2016 - tori.ng

Manny Pacquiao reveals shocking views on homosexuality as the boxing champion claims gay couples are 'worse than animals.'

Philippine vice-president, Jejomar Binay raises the hands of senatorial candidate Pacquiao at the

start of the official campaign period for the May presidential elections

Popular Filipino world champion professional boxer, Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao, popularly known as Manny Pacquiao, has sparked a firestorm of criticism in the Philippines after describing gay couples as 'worse than animals'.

The 8th-time world boxing champion who is nearing the end of a glorious decades-long boxing career, is reinventing himself as a conservative Bible-bearing politician ahead of the country's May elections, when he is running for a senate seat.

Pacquiao currently represents Sarangani province in the House of Representative

The 37-year-old told local broadcaster, TV5 in an interview aired earlier this week, "It's common sense. Do you see animals mating with the same sex? Animals are better because they can distinguish male from female. If men mate with men and women mate with women they are worse than animals."

Manny who was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives at 32, later took to Instagram to apologise for causing offence, but stuck to his beliefs.

He wrote: "I'm sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals. Please forgive me for those I've hurt. I still stand on my belief that I'm against same-sex marriage because of what the Bible says, but I'm not condemning LGBT. I love you all with the love of the Lord. God Bless you all and I'm praying for you."

The 8th-time world boxing champion will face Timothy Bradley in the final fight of his career in April

Gay marriage is outlawed in the Philippines due to strong opposition from the Catholic Church and 80 percent of the country's 100 million people subscribe to the faith.