Claim: Cardiologist and online health personality Dr. Willie Ong, also known as Doc Willie, endorses the product Eyes Blue, which claims to treat multiple eye conditions like blurred eyesight, conjunctivitis, cataracts, corneal ulcer, and macular degeneration.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook post containing the claim has over 911,000 views, 1,400 reactions, and 481 comments as of writing.
The post shows Ong’s photo edited into a video where a woman in a lab coat talks about the supposed benefits of Eyes Blue, making it seem that Ong endorses the product.
A link was also included in the post’s caption showing Ong’s photo with a superimposed quote about declining eye health after a person turns 35.
The facts: Ong does not endorse the dubious health product. The doctor told Rappler in previous correspondence that he and his wife Liza’s only official endorsement is Birch Tree Advance, a nutritional milk formulated for seniors.
Not FDA registered: Despite showing a photo of an alleged Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certificate, Eyes Blue is not among the Philippine FDA’s list of registered food and drug products.
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Fact-checked before: This is also not the first time that Eyes Blue used the identity of health personalities, organizations, and even health officials to promote their products. (READ: How Facebook ads let foreign-managed health products spread, putting Filipinos at risk)
On February 23, 2024, Rappler fact-checked another ad from a different Eyes Blue Facebook page that used the health program Salamat Dok to falsely imply endorsement of the product.
An article by AFP Fact Check on February 29, 2024, also debunked a claim that Philippine FDA Director General Samuel Zacate endorses the product. – Lorenz Pasion/Rappler.com
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