Ex-Philippine leader Arroyo wins bail

Ex-Philippine president Gloria Arroyo walked free from eight months in detention yesterday after a court issued a surprise ruling granting her bail, saying a vote rigging case against her was weak.
Wearing a neck brace to support her spine that is weakened from a rare disease, Arroyo left a tightly guarded military hospital in Manila where she had been awaiting trial on the charge that could see her jailed for life.
Arroyo, 65, was arrested at an exclusive hospital in November last year shortly after immigration authorities blocked her at Manila airport from leaving the country.