The Philippine Senate held a hearing against former mayor Alice Guo, who was arrested last week by the country’s investigation authority after she returned from Indonesia. She had fled to that country amid speculation about her Chinese nationality.
Guo insisted at the hearing on Monday that she is Filipino, but the country’s authorities claim her fingerprints match those of Chinese national Guo Hua Ping.
Guo refused to answer further questions about her identity, citing the charges filed against her.
She is suspected of having ties to an illegal online casino catering to Chinese clients when she was mayor of Bamban, a town on Luzon Island.
In July, the Senate ordered her arrest after she repeatedly failed to attend hearings on violations related to illegal casino operations.
Guo went missing during the probe. Authorities suspect she fled the country illegally.