Last February 11, Democracy Watch Philippines was invited to the launch of the book, “Strong Patronage, Weak Parties: The Case for Electoral System Redesign in the Philippines.” It was edited by Dr. Paul Hutchcroft, Professor of Political and Social Change at the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs of The Australian National University, and receieved the support of The Asia Foundation, Australian National University, and Anvil Publishing. Aside from the chapter written by Dr. Hutchcroft, the book also includes pieces from Dr. Allen Hicken, Dr. Ben Reilly, Dr. Socorro Reyes, Dr. Edward Aspinall, Ramon Casiple, Dr. Meredith Weiss, Dr. Julio Teehankee, and Dr. Nico Ravanilla.
During the launch, Dr. Hutchcroft gave a brief summary of the book while Mr. Casiple and Dr. Reyes provided some insight on their chapters and advocacies. In addition, Sam Chittick, Mat Kimberley, Dr. Ronald Mendoza, Dr. Maria Ela Atienza, and Commissioner Luir Tito Garcia gave their own insights on the book and electoral affairs.
