Philippine police detained former president Mr Joseph Estrada today on a corruption charge punishable by death, after driving off supporters who tried to stop them taking their fallen idol into custody.
Top police generals, armed with an arrest warrant from the anti-graft court, picked up Mr Estrada from his residence in a plush Manila housing complex and drove away with him in a dark van as dozens of the former movie star's supporters broke down in tears.
Officials said Mr Estrada, who faces death or life imprisonment on the plunder charge and whose power base is among the country's urban poor, had surrendered to police.
Photographers who joined a convoy carrying Mr Estrada to his detention cell in a nearby police camp said the former president, wearing a white jacket over a polo shirt, looked glum and stared blankly into space.
Before the generals managed to enter the house, about 500 fist-waving, chanting supporters of Mr Estrada, who denies any wrongdoing, formed human barricades outside his residence.
After several hours of standoff, riot police charged and dispersed Mr Estrada's followers who threw rocks at the police.
Several people were injured, local television said.
After the protesters were driven away, national police chief General Leandro Mendoza and other senior officers entered Mr Estrada's house and took him into custody.