WHILE the Davao City Council was battling over the green space issue, social media turned bloody when Manny Pacquiao got heavily clobbered online.
It started with a video interview of the senatorial aspirant with ‘Bilang Pilipino’ where he described same-sex marriages as “mas masahol pa sa hayop”. He underscored that it was ‘common sense’ for animals to mate with the opposite sex.
The Pacquiao video went viral and before the end of the week, the street vendor-turned-prizefighter-turned-billionaire-turned-businessman-turned-realtor-turned-actor-turned-singer-turned-gameshow host-turned-cockfighter-turned-basketball player-turned pastor-turned congress member didn’t know how to parry and to feint the blows he was receiving from all fronts. It hit him in the head (bobo ka, mal edukado), face (palibhasa pangit ka), mouth (sim six mirids, hamboling myselp), and way, way below the belt. Not even Coach Roach could command Manny where to take the fight as his ward precariously nailed himself to a corner with 6-inch nails.
The boxing heavyweight initially took heavy blows from ‘lowly’ netizens which his team didn’t pay much attention to. But it gained momentum and eventually the big names that could match Pacquiao’s on the marquee started to enter the match.
Vice Ganda began his Twitter onslaught by asking Pacquiao if having several relationships while he was married to Jinkee was not immoral. Then he pounded on Pacquaio’s absence in Congress sessions and thumped Pacquiao’s hopes to join the senate by citing that the body needed experts in politics, laws, economics and not false prophets.
Married lesbian partners, Aiza Seguerra and Liza Diño, each called Pacquaio “ignorant” and “bigoted”. Diño even assumed that the boxer might have suffered brain injuries during one of his fights.
Dr. Sylvia Estrada-Claudio of the UP Center for Women Studies started with a simple post of a BBC article about homosexual animals. But she eventually took a fierce strike at Pacquaio by wondering if “he would use only the Bible as the basis for public policy in a secular Republic.”
Then the Philippines biggest Broadway star, Lea Salonga posted: Homosexuality is found in 450 species. Homophobia is found only in one. Which one seems unnatural now? Then she corrected herself in another post: About 1500 species practicing homosexuality and not just 450.
Ladlad chairman, multi-awarded writer and radio host Danton Remoto, published the organization’s official statement on Pacquaio’s remarks and kicked where it hurts: Pacquaio’s shallow understanding of SOGI and his lack of knowledge.
In a personal post, Remoto also likened Pacquiao’s intellect as shallow as that of a basin of water. Some even suggested that Remoto should have used ‘platito’ or pudding spoon as these were shallower. Former Gabriela partylist representative and now aiming as a councilor in District 3 of Davao City, Luz Calolot-Ilagan, said that Pacquiao should apologize. And apologize he did as he allegedly took out some members of the LGBT community in Gen Santos to lunch (or was it dinner?). One wonders whether he preached while he fed them or did they feed him their thoughts on being called "lower than animals”. This treat was in addition to an apologetic video that he posted online. But in that video was a clincher, he says that he still condemns same-sex marriage because of what the bible says.
In his late night talk show, Boy Abunda showed much control but declared that the prizefighter has crossed the line when he called LGBTs worse than animals. Abunda intensely locked horns with the bible-quoting boxer when he quoted (The)Pope Francis who said: "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" If Pacquiao and his sect were to repudiate that then they obviously needed a bigger writing on the wall.
Despite the apology and Pacquiao badly pummeled, the LGBT community and advocates didn’t relent but became bolder in their defense. The very popular Vice Ganda boldy declared he won’t vote for Pacquiao. Vice’s endorsement has been pursued by so many candidates because of his capacity to influence his audience. All his films are top grossers despite being labeled as ‘senseless’. Boy Abunda also declared that Pacquaio won’t get his vote.
Abunda is also a respected PR consultant of politicos aside from being a highly successful talent manager. Then signature campaigns addressed to the advertisers of Pacquiao has been launched petitioning that he is dropped as endorser or suffer boycott. In less than a day, the petition addressed to Nike has reached 80% of the required signatures.
The election is still in May and candidates are still fine- tuning campaigns. But Pacquiao may have lost his bid before he could campaign because why else would you vote for someone who classifies other humans as lower than animals.