Doc Willie Ong video about using ‘healing oil’ to cure his illness is fake

In a previous correspondence with Rappler, Willie Ong said his and his wife Liza’s only official endorsement is a nutritional milk formulated for seniors

FACT CHECK: Doc Willie Ong video about using ‘healing oil’ to cure his illness is fake

Claim: Cardiologist and online health personality Dr. Willie Ong uses a product called Anahaw Healing Oil to cure his illness.

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook post containing the claim has over 726,000 views, 7,500 reactions, and 2,100 comments as of writing.

What the video says: In the video, Ong talks about learning new health tips. It then shows him saying the following: “Marami po akong natututunan dito sa sakit ko. Kahit ang sakit ‘nyo, cancer, heart disease, stroke, napakahalaga talaga ‘yung araw-araw nagpapahid tayo ng Anahaw Healing Oil kasi nire-regulate niya ‘yung katawan natin.”

(I am learning many things about my illness. No matter what your disease is, be it cancer, heart disease, or stroke, it’s important that you use Anahaw Healing Oil every day because it regulates our body.)

The facts: The ad consists of spliced videos, with some portions replaced with artificial intelligence (AI)-generated audio to make it seem that Ong mentioned the product. The videos were sourced from a video Ong uploaded on his official YouTube channel on October 12. In the video, the doctor discussed the importance of regular bowel and urinary movements.

Doc Willie Ong thought his life is over: 'Ngayon, unti-unti na akong  gumagaling'

Fake audio: Aside from splicing clips from the original video, the ad also removed parts of Ong’s original voice recording, replacing it with an AI-generated audio of him promoting the product.

What Ong said in his original video, which can be found at the 0:18 timestamp, is: “Marami po akong natututunan dito sa sakit ko. Kahit ang sakit ‘nyo, cancer, heart disease, stroke, napakahalaga talaga ‘yung normal na process ng katawan natin gumagana. Simpleng-simple lang, kain, digestion, pagdumi, kailangan kung kaya ‘nyo araw-araw o every two days. ‘Yan lang ang payo ng doktor ko sa akin dito.”

(I am learning many things about my illness. No matter what your disease is, be it cancer, heart disease, or stroke, it’s important that your bodily processes are functioning properly. It’s very simple, eating, digestion, excretion, if possible every day or every two days. That’s what my doctor here advised me.)

Willie Ong and his wife Liza did not mention Anahaw Healing Oil in the entire video.

Doc Willie Ong denies involvement in 'fake ads' on Kris Aquino's 'miracle  food' | ABS-CBN Entertainment

Not FDA registered: The product Anahaw Healing Oil endorsed in the post is also not on the Philippine Food and Drug Administration’s list of registered products, as seen on its online verification portal.

Fighting cancer: In a September 14 YouTube video, Ong revealed that he was undergoing treatment for rare abdominal cancer and has been experiencing “shortness of breath, fatigue, and difficulty in swallowing” since April 2023.

Willie Ong: Cancer shrank by 60%, miracles happen | GMA News Online

Ong is currently in Singapore receiving treatment. Despite his sickness, Ong filed his certificate of candidacy for senator on October 3 through his wife, Liza. The doctor is running for senator as an independent candidate. He first ran for a Senate seat in the 2019 midterm elections and for vice president in the 2022 elections.

Similar claims: Rappler has fact-checked ads for multiple dubious health products that used videos from the Ong couple’s YouTube channel, spliced with product videos to make it seem that the couple endorsed them:

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at [email protected]. You may also report dubious claims to the #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. You may also report through our Viber fact check chatbot. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

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