Manny Pacquiao suffered from a serious case of foot-in-mouth when he compared homosexuals to animals during a recent interview by a local Phillipines TV station.

The former world boxing champion, who is a born again Christian, was asked by the interviewer about his thoughts on same-sex marriage. In a mixture of English and his native language, Pacquiao responded by saying that animals have a much better grasp of “proper” sexual relations than gays.

Boxer-turned-politician @MannyPacquiao says gays “worse than animals,” apologizes lamely https://t.co/6ODohpSbK2 pic.twitter.com/8scPZbNUId

— Boing Boing (@BoingBoing) February 17, 2016

“It’s common sense. Do you see animals mating with the same sex? Animals are better because they can distinguish male from female,” said the Filipino boxer.

Using this analogy, Manny Pacquiao concluded that gays are “worse than animals” for choosing to have same-sex relations.

The Philippines has long been considered one of the most gay-friendly countries in the world despite its religiosity, with recent studies claiming that one out of 16 Filipino men is gay. As a result, Pacquiao received huge backlash for his comments, including criticism from several local celebrities.

One of the country’s most well-known comedians named Vice Ganda started the hashtag #PrayForMannyPacquiao on Twitter and posted several messages addressed to the boxer.

“The LGBT is a group of people. We are humans. But not animals. Though we’re no saints we will pray for Manny Pacquiao,” said the tweet.

The LGBT is a group of people. We are humans. But not animals. Though we’re no saints we will pray for Manny Pacquiao.

— jose marie viceral (@vicegandako) February 16, 2016

The video, which was widely shared online as soon as it was released, could not have come at a worse time for Manny Pacquiao as he is vying for a seat in the Philippine Senate in this year’s national elections. In an attempt to do some damage control, he posted a video on his social media pages in which he seeks forgiveness to “those I’ve hurt” and apologizes for “comparing homosexuals to animals.”

I’m sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals. Please forgive me for those I’ve hurt. God Bless! pic.twitter.com/bqjRcWqp8R

— Manny Pacquiao (@mannypacquiao) February 16, 2016

In another post, Manny Pacquiao shares a photo of himself and his wife, Jinkee, along with a Bible verse that condemns same-sex relations.

I rather obey the Lord’s command than obeying the desires of the flesh. Im not condemning anyone, but I’m just telling the truth of what the Bible says. The truth from the Bible is what changed me from my old ways. 1 Corinthians 6:9 “[9] Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men.” God Bless everyone i love you all. @johnnybantilan @david.sisson @jinkeepacquiao

A photo posted by Manny Pacquiao (@mannypacquiao) on Feb 15, 2016 at 7:06pm PST