Clips of Filipino doctor and journalist altered with AI to tout bogus 'blood pressure remedy'

Published on January 26, 2024 at 05:51
4 min read
By Ara Eugenio, AFP Philippines

A news report manipulated with artificial intelligence to make it appear as if popular Filipino doctor Willie Ong endorsed purported hypertension remedies has been viewed more than a million times on social media, where similar deepfake clips have proliferated in recent months. None of the products being advertised are approved for medicinal use by health authorities in the Philippines.

The one-minute video was shared here on Facebook on December 24, 2023, where it has racked up 1.3 million views.

It appears to show a news report by Filipino broadcaster ABS-CBN about "HIPERTENSION PROBLEMS (sic)" and features news anchor Henry Omaga-Diaz saying: "Breaking news. The famous Filipino doctor Willie Ong has revealed how to get rid of hypertension once and for all."

An image of the purported product, called Neocardia, is superimposed onscreen and the presenter claims it saved the life of Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao.

The video then cuts to a clip of the social media-famous cardiologist Ong discussing a natural hypertension remedy that he "personally participated in the creation" of, saying the product could bring blood pressure down to normal levels.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the fifth-leading cause of death in the Philippines (archived link). If left untreated, the condition can lead to heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure, among other problems (archived link).

Screenshot of the false post taken January 19, 2024.

Other posts share the same video about a hypertension remedy but promote a different product called Diacord.

Similar videos making the same false claim were shared on Facebook here and here.

But the video has been altered with artificial intelligence and neither of the products promoted are authorised for medical use.

As of January 25, 2024, searches for Neocardia on the Philippine Food and Drug Administration database returned no results; Diacord is registered as a food supplement and does not have any approved therapeutic claims (archived links here and here).

Manipulated video

ABS-CBN News told AFP on January 19, 2024 they had not produced the report.

"I confirm that the video was manipulated and did not come from ABS-CBN News," said Arlene Burgos, head of engagement and partnerships at ABS-CBN News Digital.

A Google keyword search found the clip of Omaga-Diaz corresponds to a segment of a December 14, 2023 report on an evening news programme, TV Patrol, uploaded to ABS-CBN News' official YouTube channel here (archived link).

The anchor is speaking in Tagalog about jeepney drivers going on strike -- he does not mention Dr Willie Ong at any point.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false posts (left) and the original TV Patrol report (right):

Screenshot comparison of the video in the false posts (left) and the original TV Patrol report (right)

Meanwhile, a Google reverse image search found the clip of Ong used in the manipulated video corresponds to a 2018 YouTube post on his verified channel titled "How to treat High Blood, Diabetes, Cholesterol, Stress: 8 Tips by - Doc Willie Ong" (archived link).

Nowhere in this video does Ong mention the products "Neocardia" or "Diacord".

Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left) and the genuine footage from Ong's channel (right):

Screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left) and the genuine footage from Ong's channel (right)

Ong posted a video on his verified Facebook page in April 2023 warning of imposter pages using his image and saying he has only endorsed a brand of milk for seniors (archived link).

"There are so many scams using my face, not only mine but those of other celebrities and influencers. If you see these ads, almost all of them are fake," he said.

Other signs indicating the clip is not genuine include a spelling mistake in the purported news report's chyron and the audio being out of sync with the video.

AFP has published other tips for identifying AI-generated content here.

A search on Google using the keywords "Willie Ong", "Manny Pacquiao" and "hypertension" did not return any results that showed the boxer had thanked Ong for hypertension treatment.

No cure for hypertension

Hypertension has no known cure, said Dr Anthony Leachon, a cardiologist from the Manila Doctors Hospital (archived link).

The condition can only be controlled through lifestyle changes and taking blood pressure-lowering medications prescribed by doctors, he added.

"These unregistered products can’t provide complete cure or control of blood pressure for patients for hypertension," Leachon told AFP on January 22, 2024.

AFP has repeatedly debunked claims about unproven health products advertised in doctored news reports here, here, here and here.

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