FACT CHECK: Hypertension ‘cure’ ad uses deepfake video of Filipino politician, doctor

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Deepfake detection tool Sensity finds the video to be suspicious with a 98% confidence level based on pixel analysis

Claim: Senator and broadcaster Raffy Tulfo interviewed cardiologist Willie Ong about a supposed innovative hypertension cure.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The video bearing the claim has gained over 111,000 views, 658 reactions, and 54 comments as of writing.

Text in the video advises viewers not to buy losartan — a common blood pressure medication — until they have watched the clip.

It claims that top cardiologists in the Philippines who studied at Harvard University, including Ong, developed a cure for hypertension. Ong also supposedly said that he partnered with the national government to launch a program to address hypertension.

The facts: The video of Tulfo and Ong is deepfake. Deepfake detection tool Sensity found the video suspicious with a 98% confidence level based on pixel analysis.

Sensity’s voice analysis also flagged the video as suspicious with a 99% confidence rate. Notably, the mouth movements in the video do not match the audio.

The original video of Ong, uploaded on December 18, 2024, focuses on advice to prevent urinary tract infections. It does not mention any hypertension cure.

The script used in the deepfake video is similar to another AI-manipulated clip fact-checked by Rappler in December 2024 featuring Ong and broadcaster Mel Tiangco.

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Target of fake advertisements: Ong has been a frequent target of deepfake advertisements promoting various unregistered health products. Most of these false posts use edited videos taken from Ong’s social media accounts or manipulated videos of news reports. (READ: Philippines faces rising AI-driven disinformation)

• FACT CHECK: Manipulated video cites Willie Ong ‘endorsement’ for hypertension ‘cure’
• FACT CHECK: Eyes Blue neither endorsed by Doc Willie Ong nor approved by FDA
• ​​FACT CHECK: Ad uses deepfake video of Doc Willie Ong to promote voice and throat supplement
• FACT CHECK: Doc Willie Ong’s hypertension video ad is AI-manipulated
• FACT CHECK: Doc Willie Ong doesn’t endorse Ayurma Healing Oil 
• FACT CHECK: Doc Willie Ong doesn’t endorse Nasure Colostrum Milk 
• FACT CHECK: Doc Willie Ong doesn’t endorse Lung Gold Milk 
• FACT CHECK: Barley Grass Powder ad uses altered photo of Doc Willie Ong
• FACT CHECK: Fake ads for hair growth product use Doc Willie Ong’s videos 
• FACT CHECK: Doc Willie Ong ad promoting whitening toothpaste is fake
• FACT CHECK: Doc Willie Ong’s name, videos used in fake ads for Glufarelin 

– James Patrick Cruz/Rappler.com

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