An impostor Facebook page is advertising an eye supplement using a promotional video supposedly from actress and former media executive Charo Santos. This is fake.
Uploaded on June 22, the clip features Santos purportedly giving advice to a letter sender whose family member has cataracts and retinal problems. The host allegedly recommended using the eye care product Lutein Gummies, claiming she has used it herself.
The caption of the post partly read:
“Malabo ang paningin, matubig na mata, katarata, kahit na ang sakit ay tumagal ng 10 o 20 taon, ay maaari pa ring ganap na gumaling sa pamamagitan ng pamamaraang ito.
“Ang sikreto para matulungan si Charo Santos na mawala ang malabong paningin at pananakit ng mata pagkatapos ng 7 araw sa bahay
(Blurry vision, watery eyes, cataracts, even if the ailment has existed for 10 to 20 years, full recovery is still possible through this.
The secret to help Charo Santos remove her blurry vision and pain in the eye after 7 days at home).”
A reverse image search revealed that the original video was posted last Feb. 13, in which Santos was giving relationship advice to a letter sender. It was manipulated using artificial intelligence to make it appear she was endorsing the product.
VERA Files ran the clip through the AI-detection tool Hive Moderation. Results showed that the audio throughout the video is 99% AI-generated. It received a 99.9% aggregate score, which indicates that the clip is likely to contain AI-generated or deepfake content.
The page impersonates the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). No evidence of such endorsement appears on the department’s official Facebook page.
The legitimate page of PGH also issued an advisory last March 13 warning the public against fake advertisements using the hospital’s name. They clarified that they do not endorse any health products or medical equipment.
AI-edited videos of public figures are a common tactic used by unofficial pages to promote health products. VERA Files previously debunked similar fake claims (READ: AI-generated ad uses Willie Ong, Manny Pacquiao for bogus health site, AI-edited ad shows Chavit Singson promoting bogus product).
The video, posted by PGH Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (created March 24, 2025), has so far garnered 142,000 views; 1,000 reactions; 178 comments; and 97 shares.
