MANILA - California Assemblyman Rob Bonta, the first Filipino-American to become a member of the American state's legislature, has been nominated to be the next state Attorney General, a move welcomed by various groups amid the spate of attacks against Asian-Americans.

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the nomination of Bonta, 48, on Wednesday, local time (Thursday in Manila), to finish out the term of Xavier Becerra who now serves as the US Secretary of Health and Human Services.

"(Bonta) will make history as the 1st CA Filipino Attorney General. He represents what makes CA great - taking on righteous fights & reversing injustices," Newsom said on Twitter.

"In this moment of sickening attacks on AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Californians, there's no one better to defend CA values," he added.

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If his nomination is confirmed by the California State Assembly and Senate, a process that needs to take place within 90 days, Bonta will be the first Filipino American to serve as the state's Attorney General.

Expressing thanks and humility for his selection, the Philippines-born legislator who was first elected to the California State Assembly's 18th District in 2012, said, "I look forward to continuing the fight for greater justice!"

I am honored and humbled that Gov. @GavinNewsom
has selected me to serve as California's next Attorney General. Thank you to my #CALeg colleagues for their confidence, support & many well-wishes. I look forward to continuing the fight for greater justice! https://t.co/iOWojI0wjY

— Rob Bonta (@RobBontaCA) March 25, 2021

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“Growing up with parents steeped in social justice movements, Rob has become a national leader in the fight to repair our justice system and defend the rights of every Californian," said Newsom, according to a statement released by his office.

"And most importantly, at this moment when so many communities are under attack for who they are and who they love, Rob has fought to strengthen hate crime laws and protect our communities from the forces of hate," the governor added.

Newsom's office said in a tweet that Bonta "has led efforts to end cash bail, ban for-profit prisons, renter protections, and hate crime protections."

As CA's first Filipino Attorney General, @RobBontaCA will fight to reform our justice system & stand up to hate. He has led efforts to end cash bail, ban for-profit prisons, renter protections, and hate crime protections. He will be a staunch advocate for CA values. pic.twitter.com/Z5UYGo34P6

— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) March 24, 2021

"As anti-Asian hate and acts of violence (have) risen in California and across the country, we commend Governor Newsom for his commitment to protecting the AAPI community by ensuring that California's chief law enforcement officer will understand, listen to, empathize with, and is fully committed to protecting the AAPI community," the National Filipino American Filipino Lawyers Association (NFALA) said in a statement.

NFALA Congratulates Assemblymember @RobBontaCA on His Selection as California's Attorney Generalhttps://t.co/1QCVBglXit pic.twitter.com/WQ7DfWsyZ6

— NFALA (@NFALA1) March 25, 2021

Bonta, who obtained his Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School after attending Yale College and Oxford University in England, has introduced bills to help the Filipino-American community.

Among his most notable bills was the requirement to include the contributions of Filipino Americans to the farm labor movement in California in the curriculum of public schools.

Several Filipino American organizations, including the NFALA, last year urged Newsom to appoint Bonta to be the next Attorney General of California.

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- with report from the ABS-CBN North America Bureau