Palace on Pacquiao’s remarks on gays: ‘We are against discrimination’

“We are against discrimination.”

Thus said presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, when asked to comment on the controversial remark of senatorial aspirant and Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao comparing gays to animals.

“He already apologized for that… We are against discrimination. I mean that should be clear with anyone that we are against dsicrimination,” Lacierda told reporters in a press briefing on Wednesday.

Pacquiao earned the ire of netizens and celebrities when he relegated homosexuals as “worse than animals” in his position against same-sex marriage.

Lacierda, however, refused to comment further.

“You know, it’s Congressman Pacquiao (who was) saying that people who engage in same-sex (are) worse than animals. I think that he has received universal condemnation on that point. So hayaan n’yo nang sila ang sumagot diyan,” he said.

The Sarangani Representative, who figured in the “Magic 12” in recent preference surveys, is running under the opposition ticket of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance.