Filters are definitely allowed in Advanced Editing. It's not what flters you use, but how you use them that determines legality. You ran afoul of the "major elements" rule, which, BTW, is VERY common. In applying the blur, you created an element of the photo that was not present before the filter was applied, and it was viewed as being a major element. By major element, we mean something that plays a significant role in the final image. When editing, ask yourself if you're "moving pixels around", as you are with a blur, and then ask "does this create something that is a significant part of how the photo will be perceived?" If the answer to both of these questions is "yes", then you're probably running afoul of this rule.
BTW, the reason for this rule is to prevent someone shifting a tree from here to there, cloning in (or out) a prominent feature, or otherwise creating or removing things from a photo. It's probably the most difficult rule to interpret.
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