Manny Pacquiao apologises for saying gay people ‘are worse than animals’

Former world champion running for a seat in the Philippines senate in May’s election

Boxer and Philippine Senate candidate Manny Pacquiao has apologised for denouncing people in gay relationships as "worse than animals" but said he stood by his opposition to same-sex marriage.

Fellow Filipino celebrities were among those criticising his remarks, made when a TV network asked candidates about their views on same-sex marriage.

“It’s just common sense,” Pacquiao said in the remarks posted online by the TV5 network. “Have you seen any animal having male-to-male or female-to-female relations?”

Animals, he said, were better because they recognise gender differences and “if you have male-to-male or female-to-female [relationships], then people are worse than animals”.

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Pacquiao (37), a member of the House of Representatives, apologised via social media.

“I’m sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals,” he said in a Facebook video. “Please forgive me for those I’ve hurt.”

In an Instagram post, he said he was not condemning anyone but was just expounding on a biblical truth and would rather obey God than obey “the desires of the flesh”.

Although he has come under fire for his chronic absences in Congress, Pacquiao is campaigning for a Senate seat and voter-preference surveys show him among the strong contenders. Many believe he will eventually take a crack at the presidency.