A video featuring physician Tony Leachon supposedly being interviewed by journalist Jessica Soho was shared on Facebook on August 29.
The logo of Philippine broadcaster GMA Network -- where Soho works -- is displayed throughout the clip.
Soho and Leachon, speaking in stilted Tagalog, appear to be talking about a "revolutionary way of taking salt water to resolve hypertension in 24 hours".
Leachon then explains that the cause of hypertension -- a medical condition that may lead to heart attack or stroke if left untreated -- is allegedly a "toxic molecule" that tightens the blood vessels in the body (archived link).
"Salt water at home can 100% guarantee to resolve high blood pressure," Leachon appears to say.
It also appeared alongside more than 40 adverts by a page created the same day.
Since June, AFP has monitored similar video clips that claim a glass of water mixed with a spoonful of salt can "reverse hypertension" within three to 10 days when taken daily.
These videos were shared on Facebook here, here, and here. They feature popular physician Willie Ong, who has repeatedly been targeted by medical misinformation debunked by AFP.
Social media users left comments that indicated they believed the "cure" would work.
"Thank you Doc, for this information," one wrote.
"Thank you Doc, I will start with one glass before I go to bed later," another said.
However, keyword searches found the video clips have been manipulated and the voices of the doctors have been cloned.
A keyword search on Facebook found the footage of Leachon was taken from a live stream on his verified Facebook page on May 31, 2024, where he spoke about the first recorded death in the Philippines linked to a lung injury caused by vaping (archived link).
He was not being interviewed by anyone throughout the video, nor did he promote salt water as a hypertension cure.
In a Facebook post on August 19, Leachon called the circulating posts "fake news" and warned users not to fall for them (archived link).
Below is a screenshot comparison of the manipulated video (left) and Leachon's original Facebook live stream (right):
Lee Joseph Castel, assistant vice president of GMA Public Affairs also told AFP on September 17 that the video is "fake".
"The audio clip was deliberately manipulated to replicate Jessica Soho's voice."
He sent AFP the original clip on Youtube, which shows Soho being interviewed by a colleague in 2021 (archived link).
Below is a screenshot comparison between the manipulated video (left) and the original clip of Soho being interviewed (right):
Meanwhile, a reverse image search found the clip of Willie Ong was taken from a 2015 video on his verified YouTube channel, where he discussed the causes and treatment of fatty liver disease, not hypertension (archived link).
Leachon also told AFP the advice shared in the manipulated videos was "dangerous".
"This [post] is counterintuitive," he told AFP on September 3.
"Salt increases water retention, and water retention with salt will increase your blood pressure. That's why the first thing we advise patients is to reduce salt intake," the doctor said.
He said that diuretics, medicines that help the body get rid of extra fluids and salt, are the "number one medicine" prescribed to patients who need to lower blood pressure (archived link).
Leachon added the promise of an immediate cure made the social media posts attractive, but said there was no cure for hypertension.
According to the World Health Organization, the risk of hypertension increases with age, genetics, obesity, a high-sodium diet and high alcohol intake (archived link).
"Once hypertensive, you're hypertensive for life unless you modify your lifestyle," Leachon said.
The United Kingdom's National Health Service says treatment for hypertension includes lifestyle changes -- eating a healthy diet, exercising and losing any excess weight (archived link).