MANILA – Several netizens criticized action star Robin Padilla for the way he treated a Korean contestant in “Pilipinas Got Talent.”

But he got the support of Malcolm Conlan, a British blogger who considers the Philippines his second home.

In an open letter posted on his Instagram page on Sunday, Conlan praised Padilla for the “patriotism and love that you have shown for your country.”

“The contestant explained that he had grown up in the Philippines but had not learnt Tagalog as he attended an international school. To me, that is not really an excuse. If you have grown up in the Philippines and clearly called the Philippines your home, you should at least make some effort to learn the language,” he said.

“You were never racist at all, as some Filipinos have claimed. In fact, I truly wish others were able to be outspoken and stand up for their beliefs in a very clear and passionate manner. Mabuhay ka sir at maraming salamat po,” he added.

A post shared by Malcolm Conlan (@filevent) on Jan 14, 2018 at 10:15am PST

In a previous interview with reporters, Padilla said he does not regret the way he talked to Kim Jiwan, the 20-year-old Korean who auditioned on “PGT.”

“Wala akong pinagsisisihan kasi ako, pumupunta din ako sa ibang bansa. Kapag pumupunta ako sa ibang bansa, pinipilit kong malaman kung anong salita doon kasi bisita ka doon. Ikaw ang makikibagay,” Padilla said.

“Kung pupunta ka dito sa Pilipinas at uutusan mo kami, at i-Inglesin mo kami, sa banyagang pananalita, nagkakamali ka. Bayan ko ito at handa kong mamatay anytime para sa bayan ko. Kaya kung sasabihin mo sa akin na 10 taon ka na dito at hindi ka pa rin marunong mag-Tagalog, may problema ka.”