MANILA, Philippines -- More journalists have asked the Supreme Court to prevent the executive department from imposing prior restraint on the media during national emergencies.

Philippine Daily Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot, editor-in-chief, Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, reporter Volt Contreras, and columnist Solita "Winnie" Monsod, were among the journalists who filed a motion to intervene asking that they be included as petitioners in a pending case before the high court in connection with the mass arrest of journalists who covered the occupation of the Manila Peninsula Hotel by renegade soldiers last year.

The original petitioners in the pending case, among them a number of the arrested journalists, said government officials have continued to issue threats against them, citing the statement of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez that in similar situations, media practitioners would be held criminally liable if they to "disobey lawful orders from duly authorized government officials."

Those who filed the motion to intervene also asked the high court to order government to stop branding journalists as protectors or co-conspirators of rebels.

The other petitioners are Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) president Ramon Tuazon, AIJC senior adviser Dr. Florangel Rosario-Braid, AIJC editor Nimfa D. Camua and BizNews Asia president Tony Lopez and more than 16 Baguio City-based journalists.

Aside from Gonzalez, the respondents in the case are Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines' chief of staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Avelino Razon Jr., National Capitol Region Police Office Director Geary Barias, and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director Chief Superintendent Asher Dolina.