An ad on Facebook (FB) claimed that actress Coney Reyes suffered a stroke and endorsed a “recovery method” supposedly developed by former Department of Health (DOH) spokesperson Enrique Tayag. This is fake.
A reader sent a request to VERA Files’ Messenger Misinformation Tipline to verify an advertisement dated June 3. The ad had a 2,053-word firsthand narrative allegedly from Reyes, detailing that she experienced a stroke on her 60th birthday and was recommended to seek medical help from Tayag. Parts of the ad read:
“After starting Doctor Enrique Tayag’s method, I noticed a clear change within the first few weeks. My legs were no longer swollen as before, the sharp pains significantly reduced. I began to stand up without needing someone to support me, though my steps were still weak and shaky. My blood sugar levels also became more stable, no longer sky-high. That was a very important sign because I knew high blood sugar was the reason my blood circulation was so poor.”
The ad also contained a website link to learn more about Tayag’s methods and a photo of Reyes and her son, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, wearing medical gowns.
Reyes has not publicly shared any narrative about suffering a stroke. The photo in the ad is from a 2017 post where Sotto underwent surgery. Meanwhile, the link provided leads to a site inviting visitors to buy a milk product.
The ad contained glaring factual inaccuracies that immediately raised red flags about its legitimacy. For example, Tayag is an epidemiologist, not a neurologist or a doctor who treats stroke patients.
Reyes has opened up about her bout with thyroid cancer in the 90s – from which she has recovered – but VERA Files Fact Check found no record of her publicly speaking about suffering a stroke.
In her “reel” life, however, Reyes did portray the role of a stroke patient on the March 17, 2021 episode of the GMA series Love of My Life.
Meanwhile, the image of Reyes and her son used in the fraudulent ad is from a July 5, 2017 FB post by Sotto, where he shared having undergone bilateral knee surgery. A sepia filter was placed over the original photo.
The website promoted by the ad, www.phhealthcenters.asia, invites visitors to purchase “Cholextrol” milk that supposedly “cleans” blood vessels. It is not registered with the Food and Drug Administration, which means its safety and quality are not guaranteed.
Tayag is an epidemiologist or an infectious disease expert. Stroke patients are treated by neurologists or doctors specializing in brain disorders. Tayag has also been the subject of fake ads endorsing hypertension treatments, which the DOH has previously debunked.
The page that posted the ad is an impostor. Its name uses Reyes’ full name, Constancia Angeline Reyes Nubla, and contains a profile image with a fake verification badge. Reyes’ official FB account is fb.com/coney.reyes.92.
The post has garnered over 13,000 reactions, 1,700 comments and 2,400 shares.
