The Sandatahanes (plural, from Tagalog sandatahan[1]), also known as bolomen, were lightly armed, often irregular units within the Philippine Republican Army. It was officially called Cuerpo de Armas Blancas (Knife Corps in English). Typically equipped with a bolo knife, they served primarily to support the regular forces. Dressed as farmers or civilians during the day, the Sandatahanes engaged in guerrilla activities at night, including ambushing small detachments of enemy soldiers, sabotage, and, most importantly, supplying the regular army with intelligence on enemy positions and movements. The unit traces its history back to the lightly or even unarmed Katipunan revolutionaries during the war of independence from Spain.
The Sandatahanes played significant roles in the opening phases of the Philippine-American War, notably in the Battle of Manila in 1899[2] and the Second Battle of Caloocan. Sleeper cells in the suburbs around Manila were active during the planned uprising scheduled for February 15, 1899. According to a telegram issued by General Luna a few days after hostilities began on February 5, 1899, the operation called for the militiamen of Trozo, Binondo, Quiapo, and Sampaloc to follow up the initial attack by sharpshooters from Tondo and Santa Ana. The militiamen of Paco, Ermita, Malate, Santa Cruz, and San Miguel were instructed to join the attack once the fighting had become widespread, which was expected to be around midnight.[3]