United States Embassy officials accompanied staff members of American Senator Dick Durbin in visiting detained former senator Leila de Lima at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center Thursday morning in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Chris Homan, Durbin's senior national security and foreign policy adviser, was joined by three others in looking at the condition of De Lima, who is facing drug-related charges.

A court order made possible the visit to the former lawmaker who was briefly held hostage by three fellow detainees, members of the Abu Sayyaf terror group who were later gunned down by jail guards.

One of the terrorists stabbed a guard while the latter was bringing them food. Two were subsequently shot by responding policemen while the third stormed De Lima's quarters before being shot dead, too.

Homan was told that it was De Lima's own decision to stay at the PNP Custodial Center after being offered by the government to be transferred to another facility. Her health is regularly monitored by doctors, the Americans were told.