WE ARE happy for the country, now that the youth have been roused by the sneak hero’s burial last Nov. 18 of the remains (or the wax facsimile) of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos who died 27 years ago in ignominious exile.

The Black Friday protest rallies at the Rizal Park in Manila and other sites across the country carried out by the youth and their elders incensed by the stealth of the burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani bear watching, together with the administration’s counter-moves.

The scattered protests, held in bad weather, have not gathered a critical mass, but – if mishandled by the administration — could spread as mass action against historical revisionism and the same arrogance of power that spelled the downfall of Marcos in 1986.

The EDSA Revolt that sent the ailing dictator and his family scampering to Hawaii was the culmination of similar street protests against human rights violations, oppression and corruption – the same issues being raised these days.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who approved Marcos’ hurried burial, must heed the lessons of history. Note that he has entangled himself into the protest rhetoric, he is now being denounced in the same breath as the late unlamented dictator.

It is not far-fetched that soon, depending on how well he swims with or against the tide, Duterte will not only have his hands full grappling with the country’s serious problems, but also in defending his rule.

We note with concern that Duterte has organized his own youth group – like Marcos (and even Hitler) did during his time — which could collide with militant students and millennials critical of his administration.

■ Morales comments on ‘trying times’

OMBUDSMAN Conchita Carpio Morales, meanwhile, talked of how Filipinos now live in trying times as he warned of how “great people fall as prey and transform as predators themselves.”

In a critical speech last Friday before fellow alumni of the UP College of Law, she said in what we took as an allusion to Duterte’s argument that burying Marcos at the Libingan was not prohibited by law: “Just because you can, does not mean you should.”

She also said: “The people should be bothered when the leaders themselves equally could not figure out what is right and wrong.

“When leaders seem to send the message of promoting, rather than condemning, reprehensible acts that transgress basic human rights, the people ought to be concerned about it – rather than cheering for it either out of sheer ignorance, callous conscience, blind loyalty, or gorgonized fanaticism.”

“Indeed, these are interesting times we live in – again,” she said, recalling how Marcos’ regime divided the nation decades ago.

Duterte has said that burying Marcos as his family wished would finally lay the issue to rest and unite the country. It appears, however, that the opposite – the dividing of the nation – is happening.

Back to the Black Friday rally, we share with President Duterte these telling remarks of human rights lawyer Rene Saguisag, among the elders who flocked to the Rizal Park event, in case he has not come across them:

“I believe your title is President, not King. You demand respect but seem to being incapable of giving any. We elected a leader, not a ruler, and you can’t seem to tell the difference.

“You took an oath to defend the Constitution, but from your actuations since taking office you seem to be testing your new-found powers, from your pronouncements about imposing martial law, suspending the writ of habeas corpus, to having to ‘innovate the law,’ whatever that means.

“Be very careful about crossing the Filipino people, sir. The Philippines is bigger than Davao. You cannot bully your way through any decision you make and expect no consequences.”

■ Solons sink to gross level in probe

THAT was a gross, disgraceful hearing held last Thursday at the House of Representatives starring Ronnie Dayan, former driver and lover of Sen. Leila de Lima, on alleged dealings with drug lords operating from the Bilibid prisons during her time as justice secretary.

At the risk of sounding uncharitable, this observer thinks karma is just catching up on De Lima for her oppressive actions as then justice secretary. But still, we think congressmen should have drawn the line on what is improper in a legislative public inquiry.

A cross section of the community, including professionals, officials, women, media, and civic leaders, have expressed dismay and disapproval of the conduct and language of some of the congressmen in that hearing.

One wonders why the House Speaker and the committee chairman allowed the hearing to sink to the gutter.

Some of the salacious, sexist remarks and comments of committee members interrogating Dayan about his seven-year affair with De Lima:

> Party-list Rep. Salvador Belaro Jr.: “Kailan kayo nag-climax?”… “May paborito bang pagkain si Secretary De Lima? Mahilig ba sa sili?”

> Capiz Rep.Fredenil Castro: “Ang ibig mo bang sabihin… na ang iyong relasyon kay Secretary De Lima ay hindi lamang upang saluhan siya na magtampisaw sa pagmamahalan kung hindi siya saluhan din sa pagpawi ng init ng katawan?”

> Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Farinas: “Para lang makita ko yung scale, ano ba pinakamataas na signal na inabot nyo? Ang pinakasukdulan at pinakamataas na signal inabot nyo?… “Natutulog kayo sa isang kuwarto?”

> Party-list Rep. Harry Roque: “Sa tingin mo ba pinagsamantalahan mo ba ng kahinaan ni Leila de Lima bilang isang babae?” “Napakahilig mo namang magsalat.”

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ERRATUM: We received Sunday morning an email from Rene Saguisag disowning the item we quoted above from Twitter. We apologize to him and to our readers. Rene’s email:

“TY for mentioning me today but I doubt that I said what is attributed (or mis-attributed) to me.

“I am unhinged, no doubt, but style is the man himself. — Montaigne. Not mine.

“Can’t imagine anyone telling me, ‘I like your style’ — on the basis of what appears below.

“But I agree in the main with what is said, attributed or misattributed, to me.

“I may say Mr. Prez, Digong, Digs, etc. but ‘sir’?

“’#DontUs#’? Huh? I don’t know anything about this whatever.

“DEAD GIVEAWAY. I am 77, not a millennial, with a cane. Remember we were together in fighting the dictator.

“’The ‘privilege’ is suspended, but never the ‘writ’ itself (of habeas corpus), I tell my studes.

“99.9999999% I am not the source. If I were, the message was transmogrified by an overzealous well-meaning fellow Yellowtard or a scheming Dutertard.

“Cheers!”