FACT CHECK: Cardinal David not endorsing milk to control cholesterol levels

Claim: Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, bishop of Kalookan, endorses a milk product that manages high blood pressure.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was made by a Facebook page named Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David which was created on December 25, 2024. The post bearing the claim has gained 80 reactions, 14 comments, and six shares as of writing.

The post alleges that David had suffered aneurysm and was healed by drinking a specialized milk product supposedly endorsed in a video by retired health department official Dr. Enrique Tayag. The product claims to improve blood vessel function, allegedly helping David’s recovery.

The post also includes a link to a website for the milk product “Cholextrol” that claims to clean blood vessels, dissolve calcium deposits, and cure hypertension along with “nine other incurable diseases.” The page shows supposed endorsements by prominent personalities, including Tayag. 

The facts: The post is fake and did not come from David.

On his official Facebook account, the cardinal warned the public about the post and asked them to report it.

“Fake news, fake account. It says I am promoting a product. Not true. Please ignore or report. Thanks,” David said in a post on December 25, 2024.

FDA warning: The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned the public in June 2024 not to purchase Cholextrol, which it described as an “unregistered food product.”

“Since this unregistered food product has not gone through the evaluation process of the FDA, the agency cannot assure its quality and safety,” the FDA said in its advisory.

The FDA has asked all law enforcement agencies and local government units to make sure the product is not sold on the market. The agency also urged the Bureau of Customs to bar the entry of Cholextrol in the country.

Debunked: Rappler has previously debunked posts from fake pages using the names and images of prominent personalities to falsely claim endorsement for unregistered products:

• FACT CHECK: Ad for joint pain ‘cure’ uses AI-edited video of Filipino doctor
• FACT CHECK: ‘News report’ promoting hair spray is AI-manipulated
• FACT CHECK: Video of priest’s ad for ‘holy water from Vatican’ is AI-generated

– Rappler.com

Max Limpag, a freelance journalist based in Cebu, is an Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow of Rappler for 2024.

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.