New Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gener Gito, who served as presiding judge, was honored by the Muntinlupa City government.
During the flag-raising ceremony on Oct. 28, Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon led in honoring Gito with a plaque of recognition.
Early this month, the Presidential Communications Office announced that Gito and J. Ermin Ernest Louie Miguel were appointed as associate justices of the Sandiganbayan.
Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon awarding the plaque of recognition to Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gener Gito at the Muntinlupa City hall quadrangle on Oct. 28 (Photo from Muntinlupa PIO) 
Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gener Gito (3rd from left) holds the plaque of recognition given by Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon (3rd from right) on Oct. 28. Looking on are other judges in Muntinlupa. (Photo from Muntinlupa PIO)
Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gener Gito (center) (Photo from Muntinlupa PIO) 
New Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gener Gito (Photo from Associate Justice Gito's Facebook account)
The announcement by the Presidential Communications Office (Photo from PCO)
Before his appointment, Gito served as presiding judge of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 206.
The plaque of recognition was given by the city government to Gito “for his momentous appointment by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as associate justice of the Sandiganbayan in recognition of his sterling performance as magistrate, spanning a period of two decades from 1998 to the present.”
“A distinguished member of the Bar and the Judiciary, he was honored by his peers and the society for his judicial excellence with the prestigious Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano Award for being the most outstanding regional trial court judge in the Philippines on October 6, 2019, a testimonial to his extraordinary wisdom and knowledge,” the plaque read.
Gito was the judge who acquitted former senator Leila de Lima in her third and last drug case in Muntinlupa.
In the case, De Lima was accused of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading. Last June, Gito acquitted her by granting her demurrer to evidence.
In his acceptance speech, Gito thanked the city government for the plaque of recognition. He said he served as RTC judge in Muntinlupa for about five years. Before this, he was a judge in Bataan..
“At ito po’y palagi kong sinasabi. Mula nang malaman ko po na ako’y naappoint ni President Marcos bilang associate justice sa Sandiganbayan na lahat ng magagandang bagay na nangyari sa aking professional life ay nangyari po dito sa Muntinlupa (I’ve always said this. Since I learned that I was appointed by President Marcos as associate justice of the Sandiganbayan, all the good things that happened in may professional life happened here in Muntinlupa),” said Gito.
Last year, the Supreme Court en banc recognized Gito as one of the top regional trial court judges in the National Capital Region with the highest clearance rates of cases.
“The clearance rate is computed by dividing the total number of case disposals or case outflow by the total number of incoming cases or case inflow, multiplied by 100. Accordingly, a clearance rate of 100% would mean that the court was able to dispose one case for every case filed during a given period,” according to the Supreme Court notice issued in October last year.
Gito thanked the city government for its support of the Muntinlupa judiciary.
The Sandiganbayan has “jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases involving graft and corrupt practices and such other offenses committed by public officers and employees, including those in government-owned or controlled corporations, in relation to their office as may be determined by law.”