Size doesnt matter. Its the substance.

This was the reaction of Sen. Ralph Recto to the reported drafting of a stripped down version of Charter amendments which congressmen presented to President Arroyo in Malacañang Monday night.

He said the compression of proposed amendments into two pages does not lessen the gravity of the changes being sought, or make them palatable.

You can cut down the verbiage but this doesnt lessen the impact of the amendments, which in this case is the changing of the form of government, Recto said.

Editing can probably squeeze the amendments into a compact document. But this wont diminish the consequences of the changes sought, he added.

"Its like marriage vows. Whether its a simple I do or a longwinded professing of love, the bottomline is the same, youre hitched, Recto said.

Recto reminded congressmen that the opposition of senators to the constitutional law changes being sought by the House has never been editorial in nature, its more on the political thrust of the proposals, so the solution is not the crafting of a bantam version of the proposed amendments.

Monday's caucus, attended by President Arroyo and more than 70 House members, was the second of a series of meetings among Charter change proponents to fast track the amendment of the Constitution.