MANILA (CORRECTED) - Liberal International (LI) President Juli Minoves was barred on Saturday from entering the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center inside Camp Crame where Sen. Leila de Lima is currently detained on drug charges.

Speaking to reporters, Minoves said PNP officers told him that they could not find his letter to visit the senator, which he said was sent as early as Monday.

"They said that they did not have the memo. Apparently, my colleagues have received the approval just this morning and it was sent many days ago," Minoves said.

He said his group was just going to inquire about De Lima's detention and ask her about the political situation in the Philippines.

He also accused Chief Supt. Philip Gil Mallare Phillipps, acting chief of the PNP Headquarters Support Service, of hiding the fact that he was there to visit De Lima.

"This doesn’t happen normally in a democracy... this only happens in regimes that are not democratic," he said.

"This doesn't happen in democracy, this only happens in regimes that are not democratic." - @JuliMinoves @liberalinternat prexy pic.twitter.com/1onLn7916D

— Leila de Lima (@SenLeiladeLima) July 22, 2017

Authorities however granted LI Human Rights Committee Chair Markus Löning access to De Lima's detention cell.

Löning called for De Lima's "immediate release," casting doubt on testimonies of high-profile inmates whose allegations against her led to the senator's detention on drug charges.

“The charges against Sen. De Lima are based solely on the conflicting testimonies of criminals who were subsequently absolved of drug charges after they agreed to be prosecution witnesses," he said.

PALACE DEFENDS PNP MOVE

Presidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella meanwhile said the PNP was only "following protocols" when they barred Minoves from visiting De Lima as his name was not in the list of approved visitors.

"The companions of Mr. Minoves were allowed to enter the detention facility and see the good senator because their names were on the list," Abella said in a statement.

"There is no need to add political color to an issue which has none," he added.

De Lima, a critic of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, was arrested in February after she was charged for allegedly accepting drug payoffs from convicted drug lords.

She is part of the Liberal Party of the Philippines, a member of the LI.

• De Lima's 'disobedience' case reset anew

The LI earlier wrote to the European Union to support De Lima as it expressed concern over the human rights issues stemming from the government's anti-narcotics crackdown.

A 12-member delegation from the EU visited De Lima inside her detention cell earlier this week.

ERRATUM: An earlier version of this story said Liberal International leaders were barred from meeting with De Lima. It was only Minoves who was denied a meeting with the senator. We regret the error.