Its hard to tell what is the cause until you get to look at the engine and see if there is an history of that eng playing up. A blocked filter could do it but which one? Besides filters don't just clog up for no reason.
It sounds like a component has bitten the dust. Either in the fuel system causing either an erratic metered fuel flow to the engine or more likely the EVBC system causing disrupted airflow through the engine. You'll be needing some engineers to have a good look and do some engine runs.
They've just fobbed you off with a blocked filter because they have no idea what the cause is from the information you have. Certainly a partiall blocked filter could do it,although that would be too simple a fix and rather unlikely. If it was a partially clogged filter that had blocked up over time then that eng would have a history of increasingly errattic behaviour leading up to your event. If it suddenly blocked up then that would be an indication of a component failing
Either way the result is the same. Do exactly what you did and get someone to have a look at it.