Links shared on Facebook (FB) lead to a supposed ABS-CBN News article claiming that cardiologist Willie Ong is endorsing a product for diabetes. This is fake. ABS-CBN News did not publish such a story and Ong is not promoting this product GlucoCalm.
GlucoCalm is not a food or drug product registered with the Food and Drug Administration.
At least two websites carried the same story supposedly derived from Ong’s interview with the news outlet. The article dated Feb. 7 claims that Ong warned patients against Metformin-based therapy for diabetes and promoted a product called GlucoCalm instead.
GlucoCalm promises complete recovery from diabetes and claims to clean blood vessels, normalize glucose levels and burn excess fats among others.
The websites carrying the domain names BLOGISRAEL.COM and ANNWILDE.COM impersonate the ABS-CBN News website’s layout.
Ong has repeatedly denied promoting unregistered products. The fake site used Ong’s photo from his UNTV interview where he talked about his advocacies during the 2019 senatorial elections. He did not promote GlucoCalm in the interview.
A file photo of a senior citizen uploaded by an Indonesia-based user in 2017 was also passed off as a patient who benefitted from the product.
The “Philippine Diabetes Research Laboratory, Inc.” that supposedly manufactures GlucoCalm does not exist. This “laboratory” was also mentioned in another fake site that circulated last year. (Read ‘ABS-CBN’ impostor sites post FAKE story on ‘diabetes cure’)
Similar to previously debunked scams, the website promises netizens discounts and claims that the product is limited and being kept secret by doctors and pharmaceutical companies. (Watch VERA FILES FACT CHECK YEARENDER: Health is wealth (Scammers’ Version): Talamak na pekeng health ads online)
Last month, VERA Files debunked another impostor site claiming Ong is promoting a product for hypertension. (Read FAKE ABS-CBN website claims Willie Ong endorsing hypertension cure)
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, diabetes mellitus was the fourth leading cause of mortality among Filipinos from January to August 2023, recording 25,451 deaths.
FB page Yadanar Fashion’s (created on Feb. 22, 2022) post garnered 2,000 reactions, 187 comments and 328 shares. FB users and groups such as 4ps regular and none poor all region pay out 2023, 2024 (Sept. 14, 2023) and BORACAY BUY & SALE ONLINE SELLING (created as BORACAY BUY & SALE shoppee on Aug. 24, 2019) also shared the links.
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