MANILA (Reuters) - Joseph Estrada, jailed former leader of the Philippines, came home to a hero's welcome on Friday as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo faced criticism for pardoning the playboy movie star.
Brass bands played and thousands mobbed Estrada's car, holding banners and portraits of him as president, when he arrived at his home in the San Juan area of Manila from a villa outside the city where had spent 6 years under house arrest.
Arroyo set aside her ousted predecessor's life sentence on Thursday, just six weeks after his conviction on corruption charges, raising suspicion that the clemency was designed to curry favor with the opposition amid mounting bribery scandals.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071026/wl_nm/philippines_estrada_dc
