“It’s Showtime” host and comedian Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro is hoping that the year 2023 will be kinder to him.
The 45-year-old star posted a photo with his wife and children on Instagram to greet everyone for the New Year.
“Praying for a kinder 2023. Happy New Year!” he wrote on Instagram.
His lawyer had previously said Navarro will be going back to “It’s Showtime” this January although there is no definite date yet.
Navarro returned to social media on Christmas Day after he was released from detention on Dec. 6.
He is accused of raping model Deniece Cornejo in her condominium unit on Jan. 17, 2014. He got provisional liberty when the Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 69 granted his petition for bail in the amount of P1 million.
The court issued a non-bailable warrant of arrest against Navarro for the rape case on Sept. 19. He was detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Detention Center and was transferred to the Taguig City Jail Male Dormitory on Nov. 21.
Navarro’s rape trial will start on Feb. 16 at the Taguig RTC Branch 69. The court has yet to issue a decision on whether Navarro will attend the trial in person.
During the bail hearings, the court allowed Navarro to attend via videoconferencing from his NBI detention cell.
According to the Taguig court, the prosecution will present their evidence in 13 hearings from Feb. 16 next year to April 11, 2024.
After the prosecution, it will be the Navarro camp's turn to present their evidence in six hearings from May 16, 2024 to Nov. 14, 2024.