Is there a legal complaint that can be filed against a libelous email (independent contractor vs. project manager of a company)?

Hello everyone,

I am a freelancer/independent contractor who works with various companies, and I have been running my professional services "business" for quite some time now.

In the nature of my work as an IC (in the field of language provision), providing excellent service and high quality work is essential to build a network of clients and get more independent contracts. I've had continuous contracts that ran from anywhere in between 1-5 years that have all been additions to my portfolio.

Recently, I applied for a certain open position that was similar to a position I previously held for 4 years, and which I quit due to the unprofessional treatment of X company. I communicated with the Project Manager in charge, they told me I need to take a qualifying exam so I agreed and we already set the date. They also already negotiated the rate with me.

However, on the set date for receiving the exam, I did not get any. Two days later, I sent an email to the PM and inquired/reminded them about it. They said that the main client has put this recruitment for said position on hold.

But later, I found out from the circle of people in this industry that X company indeed had a vacancy for that position. So, I decided to send an email to another person from that same company, whom I have had the chance to correspond with in the past (they encouraged me to apply in case there was an opening) and sort of told / inquired about my correspondence with the other project manager (the antagonist ) This person replied and looped in antagonist.

After a few days, there was a message from antagonist; it was disrespectful, he was assassinating my character and my reputation as a hardworking independent contractor and he said that telling me the recruitment was put on hold was out of "diplomacy." Which was followed by them saying they would prefer being honest and the "real" reason was because he used all sources available to him across the group and received feedback that I was this and that (yes, they were negative).

Logic would dictate that the last company I worked with was the one that provided that feedback since we had bad blood. But more than this, this project manager's mistakes were that 1. He lied when he said that main client put this recruitment on hold 2. He told me directly (via email) that I am this and that 3. He got information/feedback from across sources

So, they prevented me from applying for a (/an independent contract) position which I could have been accepted for (they mentioned that in regards to skill, I am qualified), because they used the negative feedback (which are basically just rumors since they did not process me hence they could not prove it for themselves) so that I could not be processed.

Can anyone be kind enough to please explore the different aspects of this situation?
Even if I am just an independent contractor, I don't think I should have been treated that unfairly and discriminated on (both by the company I used to work with and this new one I applied for). Please note that because this is what I do for a living, my reputation is of utmost importance in order to get more clients and I feel that they have tarnished it.

I am ready to file whatever legal complaints I can file against whomever they should be filed against. Please, point me to the right direction...

My big thanks to everyone in advance!!!!!

Well. It's some UNFAIR not leting you defend yourself before they decided to not have you as possible for the position,
but I don't see they have done anything illegal. (They can chose anyone they want.)

IF anyone have done something illegal, it's your OLD client, who TOLD about you. If you can prove it's false, you have perhaps a case. (But I don't know such laws, just knowing the Philippines have some HARDER laws concerning such than many other countries have.)

As Lunkan said, the company may choose whoever they want. Companies DO conduct queries into the background of the people they hire, and if yours is a small industry, then negative feedback will surely come out in the open. Discrimination is when a company will not hire you because of your age, sex, religion, looks, etc. As for NOT hiring you because of negative feedback from a prior client (you did say there was blood between you), the company has that discretion.

*bad blood