Bulacan judge named new Sandiganbayan justice

President Benigno Aquino III has named a Bulacan judge as new justice of the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda announced on Thursday. Bulacan Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Oscar Herrera, Jr. finally snagged the position after being nominated for it by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) four times. He was also nominated at least nine times to the Court of Appeals. Herrera is the son of retired CA Associate Justice Oscar Herrera Sr. A judge for the past 17 years, he has also been teaching law particularly Civil and Remedial Law, Practice Court and Trial Technique, Law and Values for last 24 years. At present, Herrera is a law professor at the University of Sto. Tomas, San Beda, and Pamantasan ng Lunsod ng Maynila. Lacierda said Herrera is a UST alumnus who, after 15 years of private practice, was appointed presiding judge of Bulacan RTC in 1994. From 1995 to 1996, he was concurrently assigned as acting presiding judge and assisting judge in two RTC salas in Quezon City, and from June 1999 to July 2001, he also served First Vice-Executive Judge of the Bulacan RTC. In 2001, he founded the Lakan-Hukom, an association of RTC judges in Region 3. Herrera,, who is a recipient of the Centennial Award for Judicial Excellence in Region III this year, and a Chief Justice Ramon Avancena Award for Judicial Excellence awardee in 2003 and a Dangal ng Bayan Awardee in 2004, is a lay minister and involved in the Parish Pastoral Council in Bulacan. - Jesse Edep/KBK, GMA News