MANILA – After initially saying he and former “Pinoy Big Brother” housemate Franki Russell are “not a thing,” Diego Loyzaga played a different tune on Monday by admitting the real score between them.

In an interview on Monster RX93.1, Loyzaga finally confessed that he and Russell are now dating. He also clarified why he initially denied that there’s anything romantic going on between them.

• Diego Loyzaga denies romance with ex-'PBB' housemate Franki Russell

“The person who asked me, it was in passing. It was so frank,” Loyzaga said about the interview he had about three weeks ago.

“I was like, wait. We have known each other [at the time] for 10 days, we are not a thing. Who am I to say that? I can’t give a label that we are something or kami na. Ang kapal naman ng mukha ko na sabihin ko na kami na. I haven’t even asked her. We’ve just been seeing each other [then],” he explained.

Nonetheless, Loyzaga made it clear that this is no longer the case now.

“I am a hypocrite. I said I wanted to focus on myself but I guess these things, you don’t expect it. It just really just comes along. Ever since meeting up with her and hanging out with her, it hasn’t stopped. We really did click. So, I would definitely say that right now we’re dating,” he said.

Rumors romantically linking Loyzaga and Russell began when she posted a birthday greeting for the actor via her Instagram Stories last May 20.

Russell also reportedly posted photos of them together, which led some netizens to speculate about their closeness. The pictures, however, were eventually removed by Russell from her account.

Although he finally admitted that they are now dating, Loyzaga stressed they are not yet together.

Loyzaga’s last relationship was with actress Barbie Imperial. After years of being friends, Loyzaga and Imperial were in a relationship for a year before they parted ways.