Estrada:  Forgive Pacquiao for off-the-cuff remarks on gays

Former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA — Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada asked the country’s LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community to forgive Rep. Manny Pacquiao for his recent anti-gay statements, which Estrada said were most likely made in haste.

“Nabigla lang yun (He simply made off-the-cuff remarks). [Manny] is a devout Christian, and that’s his belief,” said Estrada in an interview after the oathtaking of registered nurses at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila where he was guest speaker.

“I think people should forgive him. He’s still our champion,” Estrada added.

Asked if he had any advice for Pacquiao on making such public statements, Estrada said: “I don’t want to give out unsolicited advice.”

Pacquiao on Tuesday drew flak from the members of the LGBT community, especially on social media, after he described in an interview homosexuals as “worse than animals” for having male-to-male and female-to-female sexual relations.

The video went viral online and received so much negative feedback that Pacquiao later apologized for his comments. However, he said he remained firm on his stand against same-sex marriage.

Sports brand Nike has dropped Pacquiao from its roster of endorsers because of his remarks.  SFM