MANILA — Despite Cardo’s apparent death in the July 16 episode of “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” fans are not convinced it will be the last they’ll see of Coco Martin in the top-rating series, with some speculating, in jest, that a third brother will surface to continue the mission.

Such was the flood of sentiments on social media, in reaction to Cardo apparently getting stabbed thrice and shot five times by his latest nemesis, Bungo (Baron Geisler).

To the uninitiated, the original premise of “Ang Probinsyano” — and the Fernando Poe, Jr. movie it was based on — is the titular character’s quest for justice for his twin’s death. Cardo, the “probinsyano,” agrees to take the place of his brother Ador in the police force, in order to continue the late cop’s mission and hunt down the syndicate behind his killing.

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Cardo has had several near-deaths over the four-year broadcast of “Ang Probinsyano,” only to survive miraculously in a hospital, or with the bloody encounter being revealed, belatedly, to have been a nightmare.

In a fourth wall-breaking line in Tuesday's episode, Bungo told Cardo, before shooting him several times: “Balita ko, may pagkasa pusa ka raw, pero ngayon, sisiguraduhin ko na hindi ka na mabubuhay, Dalisay!”

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Even if Bungo did actually kill Cardo, fans joked online, there’s no question “Ang Probinsyano” will go on with Martin as the lead actor — this time as a supposedly long-lost, third Dalisay identical brother.

So went the comments on ABS-CBN News’ Facebook page —

— as well as on Twitter, where “Cardo” became a top trending topic as his “death” scene aired.

May isa pang kambal si Cardo, triplets sila... pic.twitter.com/9DxxVkvbny

— Bryant Ocampo (@bryantdmo) July 17, 2019

A= ador
B= ?
C= cardo.
Lalabas na ung pangatlong kambal. 😂😂

— Dudimatik™ (@Dudimatik) July 16, 2019

"ha??? napatay si cardo???"

kuya1: yEHEY!!
kuya2: panaginip lang eabn
kuya1: may kambal yan tapos siya magpapahaba ulit ng kwento, mga 3years ulit

MGA BALIW HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

— thea ☕ (@_alteyaaaaa) July 16, 2019

Patay na si Cardo. Pero ang totoo, may isa pa silang kapatid ni Ador. Triplets sila. Magpapanggap na Cardo yung pangatlong kapatid tapos mauulit yung plot. Instant 6 years na.

— Miguel Villon, LPT (@SirVi_) July 16, 2019

Cardo having another brother besides Ador and eventually revealed that they are triplets is going to be more believable and realistic instead of him not dead, yet. Come on, Philippine television, you can do better.

— Mrs. Styles (@MaggieTJerky) July 16, 2019

ok hear me out--- cardo dies in tonight's episode, then we'll all realize that cardo and ador aren't just twins, but triplets. and then the third twin will continue ang probinsyano for another 3 years

— vianca (@viianca) July 16, 2019

Tatlong beses sinaksak si Cardo sa tagiliran. Dalawang beses binaril. Wag nyong sabihing mabubuhay pa yan ha? Oh baka naman triplets sila kaya may lilitaw na namang bago. Kakaloka! 😂😂😝

— _mamu_ (@mamu_ng_mundo) July 16, 2019

Lalabas pa c strawberry 😂 triplets cla c gatas na choco @ choco n gatas 😂😂😂😂 or panaginip na nmn yn 😂 https://t.co/9cq3r9GTLp

— maria cheena mendaro (@cheenmhie) July 16, 2019

Many of the humorous reactions mentioned “evidence” of the triplets together, referring to a TV commercial Martin appeared in in 2018. In that ad, Martin played three different versions of himself, each one representing a milk flavor.

The “triplets” theory appeared to have reached Martin on Wednesday, going by an Instagram post he playfully tagged with “Year 2045,” and “Episode One Million.”

The photo: a glimpse of Martin as an old man (with the help of a face filter app, it seems) — a hint that the No. 1 TV program in the Philippines won't be going away anytime soon.

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A post shared by Coco Martin (@mr.cocomartin) on Jul 16, 2019 at 11:36pm PDT