MANILA (UPDATED) – Convicted crime lord Jaybee Sebastian claimed at a House inquiry on Monday that he gave millions of pesos in drug payoffs to Senator Leila De Lima in 2014.

Sebastian also told congressmen he remitted part of the drug payoffs to Joenel Sanchez, De Lima's former bodyguard, whom he dubbed as the senator's lover.

The convicted kidnapper said he got acquainted with Sanchez because he was friends with the son of a fellow Bilibid inmate.

Sanchez, in turn, allegedly introduced him to De Lima in 2011 when she was still Justice secretary.

Sebastian said he presumed that De Lima and Sanchez were a couple after one instance in which he saw them holding hands and calling each other "sweetie."

"Habang kaming tatlo ni Junel at Sec. De Lima ay nagkwentuhan, may mga pagkakataon na nakita ko silang dalawa na nag-holding hands at narinig ko na tinawag ni Sec De Lima si Junel na ‘sweetie,'” he said.

[While the three of us were talking, there were times that I saw Junel and Sec. De Lima holding hands. I also heard Sec. De Lima calling Junel 'sweetie.']

Sanchez also allegedly referred to De Lima as "sweetie" in a text message that he sent by mistake to Sebastian.

The crime kingpin added that the Bilibid drug trade flourished under De Lima’s watch, after he resigned as leader of the prison’s “presidio”, thus allowing her “favored inmate,” Herbert Colanggo, to wrestle control of the narcotics ring.

In December 2014, however, De Lima led a raid on the penitentiary which led to the transfer of high-profile inmates, including Colanggo, to the National Bureau of Investigation jail. Sebastian, meanwhile, remained at the NBP.

Sebastian said it was only three days after the raid that Sanchez asked him to contribute drug money for the De Lima’s campaign kitty.

“Tatlong araw matapos ang nasabing raid, kami ay nagkausap ni Junel Sanchez at isa sa aming napag-usapan ay tutal naman ako lang and naiwan sa Maximum Security Compound tulungan ko raw sa pondo sa darating na eleksyon si DOJ Secretary,” Sebastian said.

[Three days after the raid, Junel Sanchez and I talked. One of the things we talked about was that since I was the only one left at the Maximum Security Compound, I should help the DOJ Secretary raise funds for the coming election.]

Sebastian claimed that soon after, he gave P2 million in drug payoffs to De Lima through Sanchez.

He said De Lima thanked him for the “Christmas gift” over the phone the following day.

“Kinabukasan tumawag sa akin si Junel at sinabi niya na ‘’Pare may kakausap sayo, naka-loud speaker ka. May narining ako sa kabilang linya na boses ng babae na ka-boses ni Secretary De Lima at sinabi niya sa akin na ‘Jaybee, merry Chrismas,’” he narrated.

“Sumagot naman ako na ‘Merry Christmas din po Ma’am. Natanggap niyo po ba ng regalo ko?’ Sumagot naman si Secretary na ‘yes, Jaybee, merry Christmas.”

[The next day, Junel called me and said ‘someone will talk to you, you’re on loud speaker.’ I heard a female voice resembling Senator De Lima’s on the other line. She said ‘Jaybee, merry Chrismas.’ I answered ‘Merry Chrismas too, Ma’am. Did you receive my gift?’ Secretary replied, ‘yes, Jaybee, merry Chirstmas.]

Sebastian said he personally handed another P2 million to De Lima at the office of former Corrections director Franklin Bucayu when she visited the NBP on January 8, 2015.

“Noong paalis na ako, sinabi ko kay Secretary De Lima na ‘Mam may ibigay ako sayong pera, paano to? Kay Junel ko ba iabot ito?’ Sumagot naman si Secretary De Lima na "Hindi ko kasama si Junel ngayon, iwan mo nalang d’yan," he said.

[As I was about to leave the office, I asked Secretary De Lima, ‘Mam, I have money for you. Should I hand it to Junel? She answered, ‘Junel is not with me, just leave it there.”]

But Sebastian said he encountered problems with the prison’s drug trade and was only able to raise funds for De Lima by March 2015. From that month until May, he said he gave a total of P10 million for the senator’s campaign kitty.

But Sanchez allegedly raised Sebastian’s monthly quota contribution to P5 million, which he failed to meet in June and July.

Sebastian said it was after this that De Lima ordered his transfer from the Maximum Security Compound to the NBP Building 14, which now houses the 19 high-profile inmates that were arrested after the 2014 raid.

De Lima, he said, placed his life in danger because Building 14’s other residents loathed him, believing that he was a government asset.

Sebastian was among four inmates wounded at a stabbing incident at the high-security building last week.

His camp earlier said Sebastian will charge De Lima for gross inexcusable negligence and violations of the anti-torture law.

Sanchez, meanwhile, testified in an earlier hearing that Ronnie Dayan, another former employee of De Lima, was her alleged bagman and lover.

The senator has vehemently denied the allegations, saying that the Duterte administration may be torturing witnesses into fabricating stories against her.