The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said Tuesday that it may not be able to file charges against military troopers allegedly involved in the massacre of eight people in Maimbung town in Sulu province.

Lawyer Jose Manuel Mamauag, CHR chief in Zamboanga, said the filing of the case was bungled after the families of the eight massacre victims in Barangay Ipil last February 2008 accepted settlement from the military.

There were earlier reports that the families of the massacre victims were being offered by the military P200,000 in exchange of withdrawing their complaints.

Mamauag said the CHR in Zamboanga has received confirmation that the victims' families have accepted the "blood money."

Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, Joint Task Force Comet chief, confirmed to ABS-CBN Zamboanga that the relatives of the massacre victims have agreed to a settlement.

However, Sabban denied that the amount given to the relatives is blood money.

"It's not blood money. They are for settlement. It was arranged by their relatives and local officials," the military official said in a text message.

The CHR-Zamboanga's fact-finding commission last April recommended to the Ombudsman for the Military the filing of criminal charges against the troops involved in the alleged massacre.

The Western Mindanao Command, which created an investigating team to look into the massacre allegations, has absolved the soldiers.

The military command said the troopers were engaged in a legitimate security operation in Barangay Ipil against Abu Sayyaf members.

Killed during the "encounter" were Arnalyn Lahim, 19; Marissa Faylan, 4; Sulayman Akub, Resmi Lahim, 9; Ardisin Lahim, a barangay kagawad, Narsiya Akub, Jamira Kira Lahim, and Corporal Ibnon Wahid, a former Moro National Liberation Front.

There were witnesses who said the soldiers involved in the operations indiscriminately fired at the villagers.