MANILA, Philippines (1st Update) – Former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) player Rudy “The Destroyer” Distrito is back in the country.

Distrito arrived aboard Philippine Airlines flight PR 103 from Los Angeles at 5:50 a.m. Wednesday. He was among 4 Filipinos who were escorted by US Marshalls.

The former PBA star and one of the most watched Ginebra players was deported back to the Philippines after being granted parole in the United States.

He will have a brief stay at a hotel before proceeding to Bacolod City.

Distrito, 51, was imprisoned for more than 2 years in the US. He was brought straight from jail to the Los Angeles International Airport.

In 2005, he was sentenced to a prison term of 4 to 12 years in a Northern Nevada jail for voluntary manslaughter.

He was found guilty of killing Mexican Juan Amaya who had married his former live-in partner, Marie Jo Buenafe, in November 2004.

Distrito, also nicknamed “the Enforcer,” thanked his friends and fans for their continued support. He said he even received letters while he was in jail.

He also thanked his former Ginebra teammates as well as playing coach, former Sen. Robert “Sonny” Jaworski.

According to Distrito, he overcame such obstacle of being imprisoned with his faith in God.

He said he hopes to make a comeback in professional basketball as a coaching staff member. – With a report from ANC