MANILA. With a left-handed stroke of a pen, Joseph Estrada on Friday gratefully accepted pardon from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, acknowledging the power of a woman who had been the object of his scorn for more than six years.

And two hours after Estrada affixed his signature to the pardon document issued by Ms Arroyo on Thursday, the Sandiganbayan sheriff handed him his release papers.

Speaking to 5,000 supporters in San Juan City Friday night, where he had been a political kingpin for decades, Estrada even made Arroyo out as his benefactor, enjoining the crowd to give her a big hand for giving him back his freedom.

"Salamat kay Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa pagbigay ng executive clemency at kung hindi niya ako binigyan ng executive clemency ay hindi niyo ako kaharap ngayong gabi. Kaya pasalamatan natin siya. Palakpakan natin siya (Thanks to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for giving me executive clemency because without it, I would not be with you here tonight. So let's thank her. Let's applaud her)," he said.

Estrada, 70, officially became a free man at 5:30 p.m.- exactly six years, nine months and six days since his fall from power.

After a brief, frenzied photo opportunity with the press, the ousted President was immediately whisked out of his Tanay, Rizal, vacation estate, his place of detention for more than three years.

"There is no substitute for freedom," Estrada told reporters before leaving Tanay.

As dusk fell, a 50-vehicle convoy - including police cars, media vans, and some 20 jeepneys ferrying his supporters who came from depressed areas in Metro Manila - charged down the slopes of the Sierra Madre to bring the former VIP prisoner to a grand celebration awaiting him at his San Juan bailiwick.

Mobs of supporters, screaming "Erap, Erap, Erap pa rin (Still for Erap)," and jostling around his van, gave their idol a frenzied welcome in San Juan.

Most of the crowd who had been waiting for him all day in front of the San Juan City Hall cheered, ecstatic at the homecoming of Citizen Estrada.

Some cried, some reached out to touch him.

'PRESIDENTARROYO'

Earlier, Estrada made several unprecedented gestures in a statement, referring to Ms Arroyo as "President," thanking her for his restored liberty, and expressing his support for her programs for the poor.

"I thank President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for granting me full, free, and absolute pardon midway through her term," Estrada said in a statement read by his former political adviser and coaccused, Edward Serapio, before the convoy left Tanay.

"I also thank those who have demonstrated not only their genuine concern for my welfare but also for that of our people, either by asking Ms Arroyo in the past to grant me executive clemency or by now giving wholehearted support to this grant of pardon, in the spirit of unity and reconciliation," Estrada said.

Being an elected leader himself, Estrada said: "I am aware of the agonizing times and tough choices that Ms Arroyo had to wade through before arriving at this executive decision."

HISTORY WILL VINDICATE DECISION

He said he also went through "excruciating times before deciding to take on her long-standing peace overtures to the political opposition."

He cited that as reason he withdrew his appeal to the Sandiganbayan to reverse its Sept. 12 verdict finding him guilty of plunder and sentencing him to spend the rest of his life in prison.

But in a remark apparently addressed to parties who criticized his pardon, Estrada said: "I believe that history will vindicate not only this executive action [of Ms Arroyo] but my innocence as well with regard to these charges."

The former movie star and most controversial Philippine president after dictator Ferdinand Marcos said he now wished "to spend the rest of my life as plain Citizen Erap."

It wasn't only Estrada who sounded grateful to Ms Arroyo. From somewhere in Europe, the travelling Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who had been harshly critical of the President before, spoke on radio to thank her profusely.

TEARY-EYED PUNO

Estrada signed the pardon papers at around 3:30 p.m., according to his media coordinator Angel Gonong, who witnessed the proceedings at the tightly guarded Tanay estate and gave the media an account of what happened.

The document was brought from Camp Crame by Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno via a Philippine National Police helicopter, which landed inside the property near Estrada's recently built museum and archives.

The signing took just about five minutes.

Puno, who sat at the table next Estrada, appeared teary-eyed and was even humored by his former boss. Puno had served as Estrada's own interior secretary.

Caring for mother

"Pare, thank you, cool ka lang (Just stay cool)," Estrada was heard telling Puno, according to Gonong.

The signed papers were then rushed to the Sandiganbayan by a police officer via the same helicopter.

Two hours later, Sandiganbayan Sheriff Ed Urieta arrived via helicopter--with the papers setting Estrada free.

Estrada's statement was read out by Serapio at the gates of his Tanay property at around noon.

Saying the country's war on poverty had yet to be won, Estrada said: "I believe I can best continue to repay our people the blessings that God has so graciously given me by supporting from hereon the programs of Mrs. Arroyo that are intended to attack generational poverty and hunger.

"We must now as a nation attend to our people's continuing clamor for food on their tables, roofs above their heads, and better education and health care for their children."

Release order

Estrada also indicated he would spend the next few days attending "to my foremost business at hand, which is to take care of my long ailing mother," referring to his seriously ill mother, Mary Ejercito, aged 102.

The Sandiganbayan Special Division allowed Estrada's release in a two-page order which reached Sheriff Urieta only at exactly 5 p.m.--closing time of the antigraft court--much to the relief of Estrada's lawyer, Jose Flaminiano, who had been awaiting for the papers since 9 a.m.

"In accordance with the aforesaid executive clemency, the terms of which the former President has accepted, let former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada be released from detention ... unless [he is] being held for another charge or lawful cause," read the order.

The release order was signed by Presiding Justice Teresita Leonardo De Castro and Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta and Godofredo Legaspi.

However, in pardoning Estrada, Ms Arroyo declared that the forfeiture of the ousted leader's property and money ordered by the antigraft court would remain "in force and in full."

FORFEITED ASSETS

The antigraft court has ordered the forfeiture to the government of Estrada's P545.291-million "jueteng" payoffs with interest, including the P200 million deposited in a bank account of the Erap Muslim Youth Foundation; the P189-million commission from the purchase of Belle Corp. shares and the "Boracay Mansion" in New Manila, Quezon City.

People flocked to the San Juan City Hall as early as Thursday evening, enduring both the heat and the drizzles just to see Estrada.

Estrada arrived at around 7:25 p.m.

Crying, smiling supporters and two marching bands--one from San Juan City and the other sent by United Opposition leader and Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay--struck up a lively tune when Estrada's convoy arrived.

He waved at the crowd before going inside the City Hall with his son Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora.

Estrada had been expected at the City Hall since around 1 p.m.

But Puno, who spearheaded the talks between the Estrada and Arroyo camps, was delayed in delivering the pardon papers for Estrada to sign.

Outside the City Hall, before Estrada arrived, the mood was festive and people gathered under orange buntings and flags as though in a fiesta.

Marching bands provided live music and rendition of popular pop songs. Some loyalists danced to amuse themselves while waiting. Others carried homemade banners and pictures of the former President.

They vowed to wait for him until kingdom come.

From the City Hall, Estrada proceeded to the San Juan Medical Center to check on the condition of her mother, sustained by life-support machines.

Family members cheered when he arrived at his Polk Street home.

It was at Polk where he was arrested on April 26, 2001 at around 1 p.m. by a massive contingent of police that included hundreds who had surrounded the house.

A buffet for about 200 guests awaited him at the wide lawn. By 9 p.m., he was dining with former members of his Cabinet as well as Senate President Manny Villar.

Tables covered in white linens were set up under a tent. Dinner was catered by Via Mare, one of Manila's sought-after catering companies.

Dishes included pancit palabok, lechon, and caldereta. Native rice cakes, such as puto bumbong and halo-halo, were served for desserts. There were also vegetable dishes.