"Young Guns" bloc members believe that the blockbuster, million-view hearings of the House of Representatives during the 19th Congress contributed to the legislative chamber's elevated public trust ratings.

Sharing this opinion were La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V and Zambales 1st district Rep. Jay Khonghun, who welcomed the House's high trust numbers based on the results of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

They said these gripping hearings were the ones held by the quad-committee (quad-comm) and the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.

"Under Speaker [Martin] Romualdez, we confronted the toughest issues head-on, in full public view, and without fear or favor. The people rewarded us with trust because they saw integrity and action, not politics and excuses,” Ortega said.

Khonghun said the 19th Congress earned strong public support through landmark hearings that reached far beyond traditional media.

“Blockbuster ang mga hearing ng 19th Congress. Hindi lang ito usapin sa balita, milyun-milyon ang nanood sa YouTube (There were blockbuster hearings during the 19th Congress. These not only made news, but also generated millions of views on YouTube). The quad-comm investigations showed people that Congress was serious, fearless and committed to truth,” Khonghun said.

According to the SWS survey, public trust in the House rose from 34 percent in April, to 49 percent in May, and finally to 57 percent in June--its highest level in recent memory. The period covered the last three months of the 19th Congress.

Romualdez’s personal trust rating also climbed steadily, from 23 percent in April, to 26 percent in May, to 34 percent in June. The Leyte 1st district congressman is expected to retain the Speakership in the current 20th Congress.

The quad-comm investigated the deep ties between illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), drug syndicates, and extrajudicial killings (EJKs) under the Duterte administration.

The good government panel, also known as the House Blue Ribbon Committee, led inquiries into the alleged misuse of public funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP). Its findings formed the basis of the impeachment case filed against Vice President Sara Duterte.

“The public saw that we were willing to ask hard questions and hold even the highest officials accountable. That is the essence of a functioning democracy,” Ortega said.

He also highlighted the work of the tri-committee (tri-comm) on disinformation, which exposed coordinated fake news operations online; and the quinta-committee (quinta-comm), also known as the Murang Pagkain Supercommittee, which helped reduce the prices of basic commodities, especially rice.

“These committees tackled real problems and offered real solutions. That’s why public trust in the House grew, because we didn’t just talk, we delivered,” Ortega said.

For Khonghun, the 19th Congress showed that transparency and results—not grandstanding—built public confidence.

“This trust is not just a reward. It’s a responsibility. We will work even harder to protect it,” he said.