Controversies continue to swirl around hot couple Derek Ramsay and Angelica Panganiban.

Just recently, the Universal Leading Man confirmed that the image that made the cover of tabloid Pinoy Parazzi was indeed of him and his girlfriend.

The controversial photo, taken at a beach, shows Angelica’s right hand inside Derek’s shorts.

Derek initially reacted on the controversy through a message he sent to darlasauler.com:

“I don’t see anything wrong with the photo! It’s our own private photo with friends! We are having clean fun!!!! What’s wrong is whoever exposed the pic!”

He said in an interview on “The Buzz” that the photo was taken some two or three years ago in Boracay.

“I’m not gonna deny it. I know we had a picture like that picture two, three years ago. I know that that picture was taken in Boracay. A group of friends who were just having fun. Clean fun,” he said.

Asked if he thinks one of their friends sold the photo to the showbiz tabloid, he said: “I don’t think so. None of my friends would do that.”

He added: “When we took that picture, the least that I expected was for it to become a cover of a newspaper.”

While the photo is indeed worth a thousand words, Derek maintains, “You can’t judge us by that picture.”

More than anything, Derek said he is concerned for his girlfriend, who may be seen in a bad light because of the controversy.

“The only thing [I’m] concern[ed about], siyempre [si] Angel. She’s a girl. Angel and I are in a relationship. We’re very happy. Tao lang kami and sometimes, especially with our job, we want to vent out, and we were there enjoying,” he related.

Meanwhile, Raimond Agapito, Pinoy Parazzi editor-in-chief, said they got hold of the photo two Decembers ago.

“December of last, last year may tumawag sa’min na if you’re interested to buy, andito ‘yung photo. So tiningnan ko and nakita ko naman na interesting,” he recounted.

It’s not the only photo they have, though. Agapito revealed they have 20 more, which they might just release “when the need arises.”

“Why not? Hindi ko sasayangin ng investment ko,” he added.

And if that is so, Derek quipped, “If they have more pictures, well, suwerte sila.”

In spite of the never-ending intrigues that seem to test the strength of their three-year relationship, Derek believes that these are nothing personal.

“I still believe na there’s no one out there na ganun naman kasama na maninira or naninira. I’m doing my job; they’re doing their job. It’s just interesting so they put it out. You just have to look at it in a funny way. You can’t take something like this seriously,” he said.