A bogus website imitating ABS-CBN claims that cardiologist Willie Ong promoted a cure for hypertension and other illnesses. This is fake.
Impostor website (qy14.poremu.com) showed three versions of the claim: one shows the alleged hypertension drug called Neocardia, another shows Ong allegedly talking to talk show host Boy Abunda, and the last supposedly showing a reporter’s exclusive interview with Ong.
“ABS-CBN News and its website and social media accounts did not report or post these items, and have nothing to do with these links purportedly reporting about a hypertension cure,” Arlene Burgos, Head of Engagement and Partnerships of ABS-CBN News Digital, told VERA Files Fact Check in a Jan. 3 email.
Neocardia is not on the Food and Drug Administration’s list of registered drug products. VERA Files Fact Check previously debunked impostor websites promoting this product.
Ong has repeatedly denied endorsing bogus health products.
A netizen asked VERA Files Fact Check via Facebook to verify another website (gosite.space) about Neocardia. This post carried several red flags of fraudulent health claims, as enumerated by the Department of Health:
- The ad claims that experts and scientists conspired to suppress the product;
- The ad contain undocumented, anecdotal cases with no scientific evidence;
- The health supplement allegedly cures hypertension, which is suspicious;
- The product is advertised as a quick cure-all for several illnesses;
- The product is only available from one source.
Users who scroll to the end of the website are baited to give personal information through a raffle that promises to give a 50% discount.
The bogus ABS-CBN link, posted on Dec. 26 by Facebook (FB) page HealthyMan+ (created on Oct. 16, 2023), got 170 reactions, 165 comments, and 77 shares.
The other bogus link got a total of 1,419 reactions, 777 comments, and 1,258 shares on FB, according to social media monitoring tool CrowdTangle.
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(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
