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THIRD DIVISION

[G.R. No. 127844. September 7, 1999]

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. JOSEPH GALICGIC y WAKANGAN, AUGUSTO PESPES y PAKIDAO and WILBUR ALIGAYEN y TINONG, Accused-Appellants.

R E S O L U T I O N

GONZAGA-REYES, J.:

Before us are the 1) Explanation and Compliance filed by Judge Emilio Angeles dated July 29, 1999 and 2) the Motion to withdraw appearance filed Atty. Armando G. Mislang , Sr..

Judge Angeles states that Judge Antonio Belen who handled this criminal case before the trial court retired from the service and that Judge Angeles received notice of this Courts resolution requiring him to investigate the whereabouts of accused appellant Joseph Galicgic only on July 21,1999. Hence the delay in filing this Compliance.

Judge Angeles states that appellant Galicgic who together with his co-accused were found guilty of illegal possession of ten kilos of marijuana escaped from the provincial jail of Lingayen on June 10, 1995, as evidenced by the certification of the Asst. Provincial Jail Warden.

Atty. Mislang states in his Motion to withdraw appearance that the two appellants Pespes and Aligayen secured the services of another lawyer and that the records of this case have been forwarded to said lawyer. He lost contact with the relatives of appellant Galicgic.

Judge Angeles explanation is accepted and his Compliance noted.

In view of appellant Galicgics escape from the Lingayen Provincial Jail, his appeal is hereby DISMISSED.

Action on Atty. Mislangs motion to withdraw appearance is deferred. Appellants Pespes and Aligayen who are both detained at the National Bilibid Prisons are required to furnish this Court the name and address of their new counsel or to inform this Court if they wish to be represented by a counsel appointed by this Court within ten days from notice.

SO ORDERED.

Melo, (Chairman), Vitug, Panganiban, and Purisima, JJ., concur.