Sen. Leila De Lima's then-lover Ronnie Dayan, who also used to be her driver slash bodyguard, shocked the public. This, after the latter recounted how his affair with the Liberal Party senator ended.
On the rocks
Back in 2016, the senator's ex-boyfriend had released an affidavit that tackled how the couple's relationship at the verge of breaking up got in the way of Dayan's career as De Lima's driver who also happens to be a part of her security group. The Aquino ally was the Secretary of Justice back then.
7 year itch?
In a House hearing, the former employee of the beleaguered senator detailed his affair with the now-detained official through his signed affidavit.
Based on the document from De Lima's former lover, it would seem that the then-couple for seven years called it quits in 2015 with a bitter ending.
The slap of her life
According to Dayan, as soon as he found out that then-Justice secretary had a new boyfriend, he slapped the senator.
"[N]agkakalabuan na kami ni ma'am (De Lima). Kesyo hindi na daw kami masaya sa pagsasama naming (sic), lagi kasing bangayan, at laging nag-aaway kami," he said.
"Kaya nu'ng nabalitaan ko na 'yung isang hagad niya, na ang pangalan ay Warren Cristobal, ang bagong boyfriend niya, parang nasampal ko siya nang bahagya si Ma'am. Sabi ko, 'Uubusin mo yata kaming mga security mo,'" he added.
The report said there was laughter in the room when the confession was made.
Moving on stage
After that encounter, her former lover said he seldom reported at the DOJ for work and went to Pangasinan instead to breathe some fresh air and calm down.
"Tapos nag-text siya, 'Pumunta ka sa Maynila, may pipirmahan ka. Kasi hindi ka pumapasok, sumusuweldo ka,' sabi niya. Sabi ko, 'Isang beses lang ako sumuweldo nitong January, nu'ng 15 lang. Nu'ng 30 hindi na ako sumuweldo. Wala nang pumasok sa ATM ko,'" he said.
Forced resignation
After the SMS exchange, Dayan said that when he showed up for work, De Lima forced him to resign, which was equivalent to their break-up.
"Tapos nu'ng pumunta na ako, resignation na. Sabi ko kay ma'am, 'Pinagre-resign mo na ako na parang nagpapalipas lang ako ng sama ng loob sa Pangasinan,'" he said.
Reminiscing what the senator told him, Dayan said: "'Nakakahiya kasi... at saka tama na rin ito para iwas gulo.'"
"'Okay, para wala na ngang talagang gulo. Ayaw ko ng gulo,' sabi ko. Pinirmahan ko 'yung resignation letter mga katapusan ng February 2015—kung baga, pinuwersa niya akong mag-resign," he said.
The former driver-bodyguard said they had an affair for seven years, which started a few months after he began working for her in 2007.
Source: GMA News
