Former president Rodrigo Duterte (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN) 

House "Young Guns" bloc members is convinced that the majority of Filipinos are "supportive" of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) trial of former president Rodrigo Duterte for his charge of crimes against humanity.

Deputy Majority Leader La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V and Assistant Majority Leader Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonta Adiong were going by the results of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, which indicated that 51 percent of respondents agreed that Duterte should face trial at the ICC for extrajudicial killings (EJKs) committed during his bloody war on drugs.

“It’s a clear message from the people na supportive sila sa nangyayari (that they are supportive of what's happening). Especially...for the former president to have time to have his day in court sa ICC,” Adiong said in a press conference Thursday, March 20 when asked to comment on the survey results.

Ortega echoed Adiong’s sentiments, and stated that the survey results reflected the true voice of the Filipino people.

“Pulso ng bayan yan kaya kung ano man ang pulso ng bayan ay nirerespeto natin yan (That's the pulse of the nation, and whatever the pulse of the nation is, we respect it),” he said in the same press briefing.

The survey was commissioned by the Stratbase Institute. 

Aside from the 51 percent that favored Duterte’s ICC trial, the poll also bared that 25 percent of the respondents disagree with it,14 percent were undecided, and 10 percent were unfamiliar with the issue.

According to Adiong, the SWS survey results also showed that Filipinos didn't care too much about the legalese or technicalities of the ICC case.

“I think the public is focused more on why he was there in the first place, not so much on the technicalities. Kasi ‘yun naman talaga po ‘yung pinaka-punto dito (Because that's really the point here). Does he deserve a day in court at the ICC or not?” Adiong said.

He also credited Filipinos for having a strong sense of morality and justice. “Ang paniniwala ko po, ang Pilipino ay mataas ang kanilang moralidad and ethical standard (My belief is, Filipinos have high moral and ethical standard).

"So, whatever legal innuendos or any technicalities that they make here to obfuscate the real issue at hand, they still focus on why he was there in the first place,” he said.