MEL REQUIREMENT.

Narrative

UPON ARR TO THE ACFT; I DISCOVERED THE MAINT CREW WORKING ON A WRITE-UP. THE FO'S HSI 'TO-FROM' INDICATOR INOP IN VOR MODE; OK IN INS MODE.' THEY HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE PROB FOR SOME TIME WITH NO RESULTS. OUR CREW SEARCHED THE MEL FOR A DEFERRAL; BUT THE FO'S 'TO-FROM' INDICATION WAS NOT MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY. WE DISCUSSED HOW UNIMPORTANT THE 'TO-FROM' INDICATOR WAS TO THE SAFE CONDUCT OF THE FLT IN THAT WE HAD TRIPLE INS FORMATION; DUAL VOR/DME WITH RDMI BEARING POINTERS. WE RESIGNED TO THE FACT THAT THE MEL DID NOT ALLOW A MAINT DEFERRAL OF THE PROB AND IT HAD TO BE FIXED PRIOR TO DEP. HRS WENT BY WITH NO PROGRESS IN FINDING THE PROB. AS A CREW; WE WERE AWARE OF THE XX50Z CLOSING TIME OF THE MAIL ARPT FOR CONSTRUCTION. THE TIME WAS NEARING THAT THE FLT WOULD BE CANCELED DUE TO THIS CLOSING TIME. HOTEL ROOMS IN OSAKA WERE UNAVAILABLE TO OUR PAX BECAUSE OF ALL THE DISPLACED PEOPLE FROM THE KOBE EARTHQUAKE DISASTER. WE WERE TOLD THAT IF THE FLT WAS CANCELED; OUR THROUGH PAX WOULD HAVE TO SPEND THE NIGHT ON THE AIRPLANE. THE FO SUGGESTED THAT MAINT CTL CONTACT A COMPANY OFFICIAL WHO WOULD AUTH US TO TAKE THE ACFT ON TO MNL WITHOUT THE FO'S 'TO-FROM' INDICATOR WORKING. THE CAPT FORWARDED THE REQUEST. MAINT CTL RESPONDED THAT OUR 747-200 FLEET CAPT HAD AUTH A 1- TIME FLT. THERE WAS LESS THAN 30 MIN LEFT BEFORE THE XA40Z CANCEL TIME; THE TIME AFTER WHICH WE COULD NOT ARRIVE IN MNL BEFORE THE XD30Z CLOSURE. THE WRITE-UP WAS CLRED 'FLT APPROVED BY MAINT CTL.' WE FINISHED ALL CHKLISTS; AND DEPARTED AT XA37Z AND ARRIVED IN MNL AT XB17Z WITH NO INCIDENT. LATER; THE COMPANY NOTIFIED US THAT WE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN AN AMENDED DISPATCH RELEASE FOR THE FO'S 'TO-FROM' INDICATOR AND; HAD WE REQUESTED THE AMENDED RELEASE; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DENIED; BECAUSE THE 747-200 FLEET CAPT OR MAINT CTL COULD NOT; AT THEIR DISCRETION; AUTH A CREW TO OVER-RIDE THE MEL. WE WERE IN A HURRY TO GET THE FLT AIRBORNE TO PREVENT A CANCELLATION; AND BECAUSE OF THE HURRY; WE FORGOT TO GET AN AMENDED RELEASE FROM THE DISPATCHER; WHO WOULD HAVE PREVENTED A VIOLATION OF MEL AND MAINT PROCS.