MANILA - Nike announced early Thursday morning that it has dropped Manny Pacquiao as an endorser, according to reports citing a statement from the sports megabrand.
According to ESPN and Sports Illustrated, Nike terminated its contract with Manny Pacquiao due to the boxing champion's derogatory comments on same-sex marriage.
Pacquiao has since issued an apology on the matter.
In a statement, the sports megabrand said that it finds the boxer's comments "abhorrent," and that it does not condone "discrimination of any kind."
"We find Manny Pacquiao's comments abhorrent. Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community," Nike said in a statement, as quoted by ESPN and Sports Illustrated.
"We no longer have a relationship with Manny Pacquiao," the statement added.
Earlier, an online petition was launched asking Nike to drop Pacquiao as an endorser.
Gay and lesbian groups have called on voters in the Philippines to boycott Pacquiao as he bids for a Senate seat, after he described people in a same-sex marriage as "worse than animals".
Pacquiao was listed as Forbes' second-highest paid athlete in the world for 2015, amid his endorsements.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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