A Facebook (FB) page posted video advertisements supposedly of cardiologist Willie Ong promoting a “healing oil” for cancer. This is fake.
Ong – who announced on Sept. 14 that he has a sarcoma, a rare type of cancer – did not endorse the product.
A week after the announcement, the page published two fake videos of the internet-popular doctor wearing a hospital gown as he supposedly explained how the product “Anahaw Healing Oil” improved his medical results.
This is yet another fake ad that used audio clips imitating Ong’s voice to sell products.
The ad used clips from Ong’s Sept. 18 video where he gave his supporters updates on his condition. In the same video, the cardiologist warned netizens about “fake ads” that use his name.
“I am not endorsing any product right now. No meds. No nothing,” said the cardiologist.
At the 9-second mark in the fake ads, “Ong” can be heard saying:
“Ito ‘yung mga oras na iniisip ko kung ano yung mabisang lunas sa sakit ko. At naalala ko ‘yung kapwa doktor ko na binigyan niya ko ng Anahaw Healing Oil dahil ito daw ‘yung ginamit ng nanay niya na may cancer. At ilang beses lang daw nagpahid ng Anahaw Healing Oil ay bumuti ‘yung pakiramdam ng nanay niya. Kaya dali dali akong sinubukan at nagpahid nun. At nung nagpacheck up na ulit ako pagkatapos kong magpahid ng Anahaw Healing ay ito na ‘yung resulta. Mas gumaganda na daw ‘yung mga cells ko at nababawasan ‘yung cancer cells ko.”
(These were the times when I was thinking about cures for my sickness. I remembered a fellow doctor who gave me Anahaw Healing Oil because it was used by his mother who had cancer. And he said that after applying Anahaw Healing Oil a few times, his mother started feeling better. So I quickly tried and applied it. When I went for a check-up after applying Anahaw Healing, this was the result. They said my cells were getting better and my cancer cells were decreasing.)
VERA Files Fact Check went through all of Ong’s videos released after he announced his diagnosis but nowhere did the cardiologist mention anything about Anahaw Healing Oil. He only mentioned going through chemotherapy to treat his disease in Singapore.
Anahaw Healing Oil is not on the Food and Drug Administration’s list of registered drug products.
Ong’s name and image has been repeatedly used in several fake ads for unregistered health products.
FB page Anahaw Healing Oil PH (newly created on Sept. 19) posted two copies of the ad collectively garnering 4,800 reactions, 4,200 comments, 513 shares and 192,000 views.
