Protesters burn Biden and Xi Jinping effigies as Philippine president gives State of the Nation address

Protesters burned effigies of ailing U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Philippine president's annual State of the Nation address.

Footage shows members of progressive groups waving flags as they circled the burning effigy entitled 'Tears of Rage' during a protest along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, Manila, on July 22.

Amid cries of 'Bring down imperialism!', the protesters bashed the large cardboard pop-up, which also showed incumbent Philippine President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.

The rallyists accused the Philippine politicians of being pawns in the superpowers' war games.

The protest occurred during the Philippine president's yearly State of the Nation Address.

In his speech on Monday, President Marcos said the Philippines 'cannot yield or waver' on its territorial dispute with China over parts of the South China Sea.

His stance is a stark contrast to his predecessor's, former president Rodrigo Duterte, the current vice president's father, who welcomed warmer relations with China and has been slammed by critics as being a 'Beijing lapdog'.

Expansionist China currently lays claim over almost the entire South China Sea, one of the world's busiest sea lanes. But a United Nations-backed tribunal in 2016 deemed its claims groundless.

The Communist rogue state - accused of genocide for its crimes against the Uyghur population - has been steadily increasing its influence in recent years through investment in developing countries.

President Bongbong is the son of former President Ferdinand Marcos, who is best known for epic levels of corruption - with an estimated 10 billion dollars plundered from the country. His wife, Imelda, became infamous for her overseas shopping trips and a vast collection of designer shoes.