Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, commander of Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) (PNA file photo) DAVAO CITY - The death of the most wanted leader of the New People's Army (NPA) was a major blow to the group and left a huge void in their ranks, the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) said Friday. In a statement, Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, commander of Eastmincom, said the death of Menandro Villanueva alias Bok was a major breakthrough as it will take the NPA some time to replace him. Villanueva was killed by government troops in an encounter at Barangay Libudon, Mabini, Davao de Oro on Wednesday evening (January 5). "It will take the NPA some time to replace a seasoned leader as Villanueva. As a result of this, we expect more communist terrorists to either yield to the troops or continue to suffer defeats under an inexperienced leader in the coming days," Almerol said. Villanueva was the longest-serving secretary of the NPA's Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) and currently, the secretary of Komisyong Mindanao (KOMMID), commanding officer of the NPA's National Operations Command (NOC), and member of the POLITBURO of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Villanueva is one of the founding members of the NPA in Mindanao during the 1970s together with Edgar Jopson. During his student years in Ateneo de Manila, he was an activist under the Kabataang Makabayan (KM) and went underground when Martial Law was declared. Almerol lauded the troops for the accomplishment and the sacrifices of each member of the Eastmincom. "Setting aside our personal desire and time with our loved ones during the holidays, our soldiers made sure that mission accomplishment is paramount at all times," he added. As of press time, the Eastmincom has already neutralized 17 top NPA leaders and tallied 545 surrenders in 2021. The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. The Anti-Terrorism Council also formally designated the National Democratic Front as a terrorist organization on June 23, 2021, citing it as "an integral and separate part" of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973. (PNA) }