People v Mapalao; G.R. No. 92415; 14 May 1991; 197 SCRA 79

in Legal Chyme by

FACTS:
Appellants and two others were charged with the crime of highway robbery with homicide. After the arraignment and uring the trial, appellant Rex Magumnang escaped from confinement and had not been apprehended since then. As to him trial in absentia proceeded and thereafter the judgment of conviction was promulgated against the defendants. He remains at large while his appeal is pending.

ISSUE(S):
Whether or not an accused who is at large during and after his trial may appeal his conviction.

HELD:
NO. Once an accused escapes from prison or confinement or jumps bail or flees to a foreign country, he loses his standing in court and unless he surrenders or submits to the jurisdiction of the court, he is deemed to have waived any right to seek relief from the court.

Appealed decision is AFFIRMED.

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