Alma Moreno to Pacquiao: Don’t use religion to insult others

Senatorial candidate Alma Moreno gave her two cents’ worth about respecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and words for her fellow aspirant in the United Nationalist Alliance senatorial slate Manny Pacquiao, who recently got flak for comparing gays to animals.

In a text message to INQUIRER.net, Moreno, a former actress and Paranaque councilor running under Jejomar Binay’s UNA, said she respects Pacquiao for bringing pride to the country.

But Moreno said she disapproved of Pacquiao’s statement saying gays are worse than animals.

“Nirerespeto ko si Cong Manny Pacquiao, lalo na sa karangalan na dala niya sa ating bayan, at alam kong mabuti siyang tao at Kristiyano, pero paumanhin sa kanya, but I will have to disagree don sa sinabi niya na mas masahol pa sa hayop ang same-sex relationships,” Moreno said.

(I respect Cong. Manny Pacquiao, especially in the field through which he brought pride to our country, and I know that he is a good person and Christian, but pardon me, but I will have to disagree with what he said that engaging in same-sex relationships is worse than animal [behavior].)

Moreno said religion should not be used by anyone to insult a person.

She said she personally knows decent gay people who are responsible taxpayers and hardworking professionals who have excelled in their respective fields of expertise.

“Whatever ang ating personal na paniniwala, di ito dapat maging basehan para insultuhin ang kapwa. We are accountable only for our own actions,” Moreno said.

“Ang dami kong kilala na mga gay na napaka decente, na nagbabayad ng tamang buwis, na maraming na-iambag sa industriya at sa iba’t ibang larangan tulad ng business, akademya, at pati na sa politika. Kaya I think, at the very least, they deserve our respect,” she added.

(Whatever our personal beliefs are, they shouldn’t become bases to insult others. We are accountable only for our own actions.

I know a lot of gays who are very decent and pay the right taxes, who have contributed a lot to the industry and in other fields such as business, the academe as well as in politics. So, I think, at the very least, they deserve our respect.)

A senatorial candidate under UNA, Pacquiao has received flak on social media for his statement saying that gays are worse than animals.

He made this statement when asked whether he supports same-sex marriage during the TV-5 group interview with him for its “Bilang Pilipino” elections coverage.

“Common sense lang. Makakakita ka ba ng any animals na lalaki sa lalakI, babae sa babae? Mas mabuti pa yung hayop. Marunong kumilala kung lalaki, lalaki, o babae, babae,” Pacquiao said.

(It’s only common sense. Would you see any species of animals who engage in male to male, female to female [sexual] relations? Animals, then, are better than humans [in that sense]. They know how to distinguish males from females.)

“Kung lalaki sa lalaki, babae sa babae, eh mas masahol pa sa hayop ang tao,” the boxer added.

(If people then engage in male to male, female to female relations, then they are worse than animals.)

READ: Pacquiao compares gays to animals, draws flak on social media 

Pacquiao was criticized by LGBT personalities, among them Vice Ganda who called him a false prophet and Ladlad founder Danton Remoto who said Pacquiao is a “numbskull” for not thinking that even animals exhibit homosexual behavior.

Hollywood celebrity blogger Perez Hilton in his blog called Pacquiao’s statement “barbaric.”

Pacquiao has apologized for his mistake of comparing gays to animals, but he maintained his stance opposing same-sex marriage

In a DZMM interview on Wednesday, Pacquiao said it is the sexual act between persons of the same sex, and not members of the LGBT community, which he condemns.

READ: Pacquiao says gay acts ‘detestable,’ ‘insult’ to God 

International sports equipment giant Nike has sacked Pacquiao as its endorser for his gay slurs. CDG

READ: Nike axes Pacquiao over gay slurs – official