Judge in De Lima case named to antigraft court

Judge Gener Gito of Branch 206 of the Regional Trial Court in Muntinlupa City. —Photo from Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has appointed to the Sandiganbayan the judge who acquitted former Sen. Leila de Lima in her third and last illegal drugs case.

Gener Gito, former presiding judge of Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 206, was named an associate justice of the antigraft court on Oct. 8, Malacañang said on Thursday.

In June, he dismissed the charge of conspiracy to commit drug trading against De Lima, citing the prosecution’s failure to prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

READ: After 6 years, De Lima free as court okays bail

Gito studied law at San Beda University and San Sebastian College and was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1998. He finished his Master of Laws at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila in 2011 and his Doctor of Civil Law (summa cum laude) at the University of Santo Tomas in 2016.

He first served as executive assistant and court attorney of the Court of Appeals from 1995 to 1998, before practicing privately.

In 2004, he was elected town councilor of Victoria, Oriental Mindoro. Gito was also chief of the Senate’s legal and legislative service from 2008 to 2014.

In 2019, he was named the country’s Most Outstanding RTC Judge. —Julie M. Aurelio