Malacañang has appointed Judge Gener Gito as the new Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan.
Gito, who acquitted former Senator Leila de Lima in an illegal drugs case, was appointed on October 8, 2024, replacing retired Justice Oscar Herrera Jr., who stepped down in May 2024.
The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Graduate School of Law, where Justice Gito is an alumnus, confirmed the appointment on their official Facebook page. They expressed pride in Gito’s appointment, calling it an honor for their institution to have one of their graduates hold such a prestigious position in the judiciary.
In 2023, Justice Gito granted bail to Senator De Lima, and in June 2024, he acquitted her in a case related to the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison.