By Richa Noriega Members of the Defense Press Corps (DPC) denounced on Tuesday the quo warranto petition filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) against ABS-CBN on the cancellation of its franchise. “We stand by our ABS-CBN colleagues who are among the truth tellers feared by the powerful, corrupt, and abusive. Shutting down ABS-CBN would be a triumph for the oppressor,” DPC reporters said in a statement obtained by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines. DPC has called on Congress to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN and condemn the attempt of Solicitor General Jose Calida to intrude into the legislative power through the Supreme Court. “Calida’s attempt, while an overreach of his office’s function, is clearly a move to utilize the country’s laws as a tool for harassment and retribution,” DPC said. The group said a free press is the lifeblood of democracy, and added, “We cannot emphasize this enough, as seeking to destroy ABS-CBN, an institution in the Philippine media industry, sends a clear warning to the country’s fourth estate to carry our message or face annihilation.” Government lawyers asked the Supreme Court on Monday to forfeit the legislative franchises of ABS-CBN Corporation and its subsidiary, ABS-CBN Convergence, Inc. READ MORE: SolGen files quo warranto petition vs. ABS CBN Meanwhile, ABS-CBN Corporation clarified on Wednesday that it has no outstanding tax liability with the Bureau of International Revenue (BIR). It also has no unpaid obligations to any bank or financial institutions. Published reports stated that ABS-CBN’s franchise will expire next month. Several bills have been filed in Congress for the renewal of the franchise. (With a report from Rey Panaligan) READ MORE: ABS-CBN clarifies ‘it has no outstanding tax liability’