ACR MLG GIVEN DESCENT THOUGHT OCCUPIED ALT IN HOLDING PATTERN. CTLR GAVE EVASIVE TURNS AND CLIMB TO PRESERVE SEPARATION.

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I ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CLRNC FOR DSCNT FROM FL290 TO FL240. WE WERE HOLDING AT ENI ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER ACFT FOR SFO. WHILE ON THE OUTBND LEG; IN THE HOLD; WE WERE CLRED TO A LEFT TURN ON A SE VECTOR AND A CLRNC OUT OF FL290 TO FL240. THE CAPT STARTED THE TURN; BUT DID NOT BEGIN HIS DSCNT. I REMINDED HIM OF THE DSCNT AFTER ABOUT 1 1/2-2 MINS. WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO FL230 WHILE DSNDING OUT OF FL267 OR SO. SOON AFTER THAT WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO MAINTAIN FL270 WHILE WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH FL265 AT 2000 FPM. MOMENTUM CARRIED THE ACFT TO 26200' MSL BEFORE THE NEWLY REASSIGNED ALT OF 27000' WAS REPROGRAMMED INTO THE FMC. UP TO THIS TIME; THERE WAS NO MENTION OF CONFLICT FROM ARTCC. NOW AT 26200'; REPROGRAMMED TO FL270; THROTTLES WERE AT CLB THRUST AND ALT BEGAN INCREASING. AT THAT TIME; ATC ASKED FOR AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN TO W AND ANOTHER ACFT IN THE HOLD OVER ENI AT 26000' WAS TOLD TO BEGIN AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO AN EASTERLY HDG AND FOR US TO CALL LEVEL AT FL270. WE CALLED LEVEL AT FL270. WE WERE NEVER TOLD OF A TFC CONFLICT AND DID NOT HAVE A VISUAL CONTACT ON THAT OTHER ACFT. WE WERE ALSO AT FL262 AND CLBING IN A RIGHT TURN AND HE WAS BELOW AND LEFT OF US; SO IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO SEE. ALTHOUGH BY THE ATC INSTRUCTIONS AND EVASIVE TURNS; I GUESS THERE MUST HAVE BEEN. THE CAPT HEARD THE CLRNC; SAW ME PUT THE NEW ALT INTO THE ALT SELECTOR. THE CLRNC CONTAINED A HDG; ALT AND SPD; AND ALSO POSSIBLY SOME OTHER INFO FOR LEAVING THE FIX. PART OF MY DIVERSION WAS; I WAS HEADS DOWN AFTER RESETTING THE ALT SELECTOR TRYING TO PROGRAM THE FMC TO EXIT THE HOLD; AND CHANGE THE DISPLAY ON THE HSI. DURING THIS TIME; I ASSUMED THE CAPT HAD BEGUN HIS DSCNT. WHEN I FINISHED PROGRAMMING AND SAW HE WAS STILL AT FL290 I REMINDED HIM OF THE NEW ALT. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THE CTLR THOUGHT WE WERE IN OUR DSCNT AND AT THAT RATE SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD A CONFLICT ALERT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR AND HIS CAPT DID NOT MAKE ANY INQUIRY WITH THE CENTER ABOUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS A CONFLICT AND LOSS OF SEPARATION. TO THIS DAY; REPORTER DOES NOT KNOW IF THEY LOST SEPARATION WITH THE ACFT AT FL260. AS INDICATED IN THE REPORT; THE CTLR GAVE IMMEDIATE TURNS TO BOTH ACFT AND CLIMBED RPTR'S ACFT. RPTR DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THEIR SLOWNESS IN LEAVING FL290 HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF SEP AT FL260. RATHER; HE FEELS THAT THE CTLR FORGOT ABOUT THE ACFT AT FL260 AND MISTAKENLY DSNDED HIS ACFT THROUGH THAT ALT.