Nike is not the only corporate sponsor of top-ranked multi-millionaire boxer Manny Pacquiao, who came under fire this week for his comments attacking President Obama, marriage, and homosexuality. Also sponsors of the Philippine welterweight champ are Hewlett-Packard, State Street Produce, Hennessy liquor, McDonald’s, San Miguel beer, and Custom Vehicle Wraps, among others. Forbes annually lists Pacquiao as one of the world’s highest-paid athletes, taking in $40 million in 2009, $42 million in 2010, and $25 million in 2011.
Hewlett-Packard is an American multinational information technology corporation who last year signed Manny Pacquiao to a three-year deal worth reportedly one million dollars annually. Also last year, Pacquiao won a deal with one of America’s largest produce manufacturers, State Street Produce, which created a “Pacquiao Produce†line. Late last year Pacquiao also signed a million-dollar deal with Moet Hennessy, makers of the top-selling Cognac brand. And McDonald’s has been sponsoring Pacquiao for at least five years. Of course, there is all the income he receives from media outlets like HBO, who make millions on his fights.
As The New Civil Rights Movement reported today, a poorly-written article this week appeared to have quoted Manny Pacquiao quoting Leviticus, saying gays must be put to death. The interviewer and author of the piece later wrote another poorly-written article stating that Pacquiao did not quote Leviticus, but did state that Pacquiao said, “God’s words first … obey God’s law first before considering the laws of man.â€
Pacquiao did attack President Obama for his stance on same-sex marriage, and did attack gays in general, calling them sinners, and claimed the Bible should be used to prohibit same-sex couples from the institution of civil marriage.
While there are many details that remain unclear, what is clear is that boxer Manny Pacquiao has attacked the President of the United States and all homosexuals, along with the institution of marriage, in a biblically-based anti-gay screed. As both a highly-paid representative of Nike, Hewlett-Packard, McDonald’s, Moet-Hennessy, San Miguel Beer, and other well-known international brands, as well as an elected representative of the good people of The Phillippines, Pacquiao has behaved in an unacceptable manner.
Nike and all Pacquiao’s sponsors must investigate, and have both every reason and probable cause to sever their contracts with Pacquiao, based solely on the comments he has made about President Obama and about gay people and marriage.
An email to Pacquiao’s marketing management agent did not receive a reply.