Back in 2014, then justice secretary Leila de Lima explained her reasons for not remarrying.

In an interview with ANC's PIPOL, De Lima admitted she is the master of the house after separating from her husband for more than 10 years. Her previous partner has since remarried.

De Lima said she has no intention of remarrying even though she is seeing someone.

"Our marriage has been officially annulled so now I am legally single by judicial decree. I committed to myself that I won't remarry. I don't know. I just don't want. I guess because the kind of life that I have, stressful life, it's an understatement. It's a stressful daily life with all the schedules. I feel I would not be doing justice to my partner if he will be brought into relationship," she said.

At that time, De Lima refused to reveal who her boyfriend was, even when it was former president Benigno Aquino III asking her.

She said she told the President: "May I invoke my right to privacy."

Prior to her admission of their relationship, De Lima admitted that she was "very close" to her former driver, Ronnie Dayan.

"I was very close to him, but I wouldn’t want to be publicly speaking about it. It’s too personal for me," she said on ANC's Headstart with Karen Davila.

However, in an interview with Winnie Monsod, De Lima finally confirmed the long-running rumor of her romantic relationship with Dayan.

"We became so close. That's it. I trusted him. Siyempre, naano po ang loob ko," she said.

De Lima said her relationship with Dayan lasted for a “few years” and that the latter had long been separated from his wife. She said she broke up with him before she ran for senator.

Dayan, who was arrested Tuesday, also admitted he had a seven-year relationship with De Lima.

No less than President Rodrigo Duterte accused Dayan of being De Lima's lover aside from serving as her driver. He had not been seen in public since the President linked him to the illegal drug trade in August.

Dayan is at the center of an inquiry on De Lima's alleged involvement in the proliferation of the illegal drug trade from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). He was allegedly De Lima's bagman, collecting drug money for the lady senator.