Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley hype their third fight. Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Manny Pacquiao apologized on Tuesday for saying those engaged in same-sex relationships are “worse than animals.”

Pacquiao, who faces Timothy Bradley on April 9 on HBO Pay-Per-View and is campaigning for a seat in the Philippines senate as a conservative Christian, made the comments in a video that was published on the Filipino television network TV5’s website as part of its election coverage.

“It’s common sense,” Pacquiao said. “Do you see animals mating with the same sex? Animals are better because they can distinguish male from female. If men mate with men and women, they are worse than animals.”

The remarks outraged those in the LGBT community. Filipino gay rights activists have called on voters to boycott Pacquiao in the May elections.

American blogger Perez Hilton, who is openly gay, also slammed the comments on his website as “horrific.”

“The sad thing here is that Pacquiao is world famous and a national hero as a boxer, so we can only guess he’ll win his election to the Senate pretty easily – and then spread this awful attitude around within his country,” Hilton wrote.

The premium cable network HBO, which is airing Pacquiao’s bout with Bradley, declined to comment on Tuesday, saying it was for Pacquiao and his representatives to address. Top Rank Promotions, which promotes Pacquiao, didn’t immediately respond to a message.

Pacquiao, a current member of the Philippines House of Representatives, initially stood by his comments, posting on his Instagram account, “I rather obey the Lord’s command than obeying the desires of the flesh. I’m not condemning anyone but I’m just telling the truth of what the Bible says.”

But on Tuesday the eight-time champion, perhaps aware of the growing outrage, attempted to strike a more conciliatory tone, saying he regretted making the remarks, though he’s still against gay marriage.

“I’m sorry for hurting people by comparing homosexuals to animals,” said Pacquiao, standing with his arms crossed over a white Nike T-shirt bearing his initials in a video that was posted to his various social media platforms. “Please forgive me for those I’ve hurt. I still stand on my belief that I’m against same sex marriage because of what the Bible says but I’m not condemning LGBT. I love you all with the love of the Lord. God bless you all and I’m praying for you.”

Pacquiao also sparked outrage in 2012 when he voiced his opposition to President Barack Obama’s support for gay marriage in an interview with the National Conservative Examiner. The boxer later clarified his comments.

“I’m not against the gay people,” Pacquiao told the Associated Press. “I’m not condemning them…I have a cousin (who is) gay. I have relatives (who are) gay. I have a lot of friends (who are) gay, so I’m not condemning gays. What I said is I’m not in favor of same-sex marriage.”

In an apparent attempt to one-up Pacquiao, rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. later sided with the president in expressing his own beliefs on the subject.

“I stand behind President Obama and support gay marriage,” Mayweather tweeted. “I’m an American citizen and I believe people should live their life the way they want.”

Pacquiao, 37, has suggested he will retire after his third fight with Bradley in April. It’s the first bout for Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 knockouts) since he was easily out-pointed in May by Mayweather in a fight that broke every box-office record in boxing.

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