As everyone anticipates what has been described as a watershed election on May 9, one that is hoped to grant power to deserving selfless individuals who will genuinely work towards a more equitable society, a book that looks closely at patronage politics in the country is timely: “Patronage Democracy in the Philippines: Clans, Clients, and Competition in Local Elections” edited by Julio C. Teehankee and Cleo Anne A. Calimbahin (Bughaw, Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2022).