Eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao has accepted the apology of columnist Granville Ampong, whose column stated that Pacquiao quoted Leviticus 20:13 in declaring his stand against same-sex marriage.

Pacquiao said he would not file any charges against Ampong.

Ampong said that the quote, “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads,” came from him and not from Pacquiao.

Ampong said that the content of his column was misinterpreted by USA Today writer Tom Weir and LA Weekly’s Dennis Romero. The two both wrote articles implying that homosexuals should be put to death according toPacquiao. He said that his column merely stated how God made it clear in the Old Testament that the practice of same-sex marriage is detestable and strictly forbidden.

The reports caused an uproar in the gay community that led The Grove, a Los Angeles mall to issue a ban on Pacquiao. Though the Grove has lifted the ban, it was reported that PacMan’s fans are boycotting the mall.

After apologizing to the People’s Champ, Ampong, a known critic of Pacquiao, urged Weir and Romero to clarify their reports.

“Though I am critical of Pacquiao in some way, what I see in him is a man who accepts everyone, regardless of sexual orientation. I believe Pacquiao is a tolerant and a people-oriented believer. Pacquiao only says, ‘God’s words first ... obey God’s law first before considering the laws of man,” said Ampong.