HOMOPHOBIC REMARK. Groups are asking Sarangani Represenative Manny Pacquiao for saying animals know better than homosexuals when it comes to finding partners. (Screengrab from TV-5)
DAVAO CITY – People’s champ Manny Pacquiao is in hot water for striking an offensive blow to the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender (LGBT) community.
For comparing the LGBTs to animals, Gabriela Women’s Party urged Pacquiao to apologize to the said group.
“LGBTs are people, citizens and deserve the same rights as everyone else. Pacquiao should realize that if he wants to become senator of all Filipinos, he should educate himself with the need to protect the rights of disempowered sectors of the electorate,” said Arlene Brosas, Gabriela’s spokesperson in Manila.
Brosas, the second nominee of the women’s rights partylist, said there is no sense in the “common sense” comparing any human behavior to those of animals, and use this as a basis for policy and legislation.
Looking for animals? Try Congress, Malacañang
If Pacquiao was looking for animals, Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said he should try looking for them in government.
“If you are looking for animals, you should spot them in Congress and in Malacañang, many of them stripped millions of SSS pensioners of their humanity by denying them a measly increase in pension,” Palabay said in a Facebook post.
Pacquiao, also Sarangani province’s representative in Congress, is running for senator under the United Nationalist Alliance.
In TV-5’s “Bilang Pilipino” interview, he said when it comes to distinguishing males from females, animals know better.
“It’s common sense. Is there any animal who engages in male to male, female to female relations? Animals are better than humans. They know how to distinguish males and from females,” Pacquiao said in Filipino.
He added: “if people engage in male to male, female to femal relations, then they are worse than animals.”
Do not vote Pacquiao
Ladlad Partylist Chairman and professor Danton Remoto also called on the voters not to vote for Pacquiao as senator.
“His anti-LGBT statement betray a shallow understanding of the issues that are important to us. Ladlad supports the rights of people to have consensual, same-sex relationships that lead to domestic partnerships or even to same-sex marriage,” Remoto said in a tweet on Tuesday, February 16.
Remoto also called on the boxing champ to stop his “stupidity.”
“Manny, tama na ang kabobohan (end the stupidity),” he said.
Artist Aiza Seguerra, who is married to her partner, Liza Diño also called Pacquiao as a “bigoted hypocrite”.
“You might’ve done our country proud but with your statement, you just showed the whole country why we shouldn’t vote for you. And yes, I think you are an ignorant, bigoted hypocrite. You made me lose all respect that I had for you, Mr. Pacquiao,” wrote Seguerra on her Instagram post.
Seguerra urged voters to choose the candidates wisely. (davaotoday.com)
